Edward Alderton Theatre

The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde

Directed by Daniel Cox

3-10 October 2009 (7 performances)

To inject some excitement into his life, Jack Worthing invents a brother, Earnest, as an excuse to leave his dull country life behind him to pursue the object of his desire, the ravishing Gwendolen. Across town Algernon Moncrieff decides to take the same name when visiting Worthing's young ward Cecily. The real fun and confusion begins when the two end up together and their deceptions are in danger of being revealed...

Cast
Letty	Hannah Jacobs
Thomas Cardew	Tony Donnelly
Lane	Ian Long
Algernon Moncrieff	Matthew Webb
Jack Worthing	Stuart Keil
Gwendolen Fairfax	Geraldine Mullins
Lady Bracknell	Eileen Warner
Cecily Cardew	Charlotte Jacobs
Miss Prism	Wendy Marsh
Canon Chasuble	Paul Harris
Merriman	David Hampton
Mr Gribsby	Clive Madel

Crew
Stage Manager	Sarah O'Hanlon
Production Manager	Claire Kingshott
Assistant Stage Manager	Hannah Jacobs
Set Concept	Daniel Cox
Set Design & Construction	John Vinnels, Ron Andrews
Set Decoration	Daniel Cox, Laura Lockwood, Sue Lockwood, Josh Lockwood, Rebecca Mason, Wendy Marsh, Paul Harris, Ian Long
Scenic Painting	Annette Tranter
Properties	Claire Kingshott
Lighting & Sound Design	Rebecca Mason
Lighting Rigging	Jerry McKeon, Christine McKeon, Michael Smith, Rebecca Mason
Lighting Programming	Michael Smith
Lighting Operation	Helen West
Sound Operation	Louise Ody
Costumes	Laura Lockwood, Helen Banks, Joyce Howes
Millinery	Laura Lockwood
Backstage	Tony Donnelly, Natalie Walker

Solo Piano performed by Wendy Marsh. Incidental music taken from John Arpin plays Scott Joplin. Thanks to Richard Banks for advice and input, Mick Grubb for transport, Norma and Peter Bell for furnishing Algy's flat, and to Laura for supporting and keeping the director sane. Apologies to Oscar Wilde.

Preview

Wildean classic

An amateur dramatics' theatre is putting on an Oscar Wilde production this month which satirizes Victorian society. The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Daniel Cox, is being staged at the Edward Alderton Theatre in Brampton Road, Bexleyheath, from Saturday until next Saturday. Performances start at 8 and there will be no performance on Sunday.

The play's humour derives from characters maintaining fictitious identities to escape unwelcome social obligations. Jack Worthing invents a brother to inject some excitement into his life as an excuse to leave his dull country life behind to pursue the object of his desire. But across town another man takes the same name when visiting Worthing's young ward Cecily.

Box office: 0208 301 5584 or visit www.edwardalderton.org

Kate Mead

Kentish Times | 1 October 2009

Review

Bags of fun with Wilde's Earnest

The Edward Alderton Theatre has launched its new season with an intelligent and charming production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, writes Steve Spencer.

Set in fashionable 1895, the comedy follows the ups and downs of Algernon Moncrieff and his friend Jack Worthing whose parentage is unclear: a handbag! a left luggage office! Victoria Station! Throw in an ‘imaginary’ brother Ernest and events inevitably become more complicated when they meet up with their betrothed, Gwendolen and Cecily, each of whom think they are betrothed to Ernest. After much comic twisting and turning, Jack Worthing’s true identity is revealed and their engagements are blessed.

Daniel Cox makes his debut as a director and steers a first class cast who deliver their lines with conviction and enthusiasm. One senses he has really got beneath the characters and understood how they tick, yet he lets the actors’ own performance skills do the work. Matthew Webb (Moncrieff) and Stuart Keil (Worthing) play the lead men. Matthew Webb plays an outstanding cynic who plays to his comic strengths devouring cucumber sandwiches and muffins with gusto while firing off witty retorts with speed. Their lovers are also well played, with Geraldine Mullins (a flirtatious Gwendolen) and Charlotte Jacobs (a demur but forthright Cecily) both proving to be effective counterparts to the men.

Eileen Warner is a stern and foreboding Lady Bracknell with her own successful ‘take’ on Wilde’s infamous exchanges between her and Jack Worthing. Wendy Marsh plays the suitably sharp governess, Miss Prism, bursting with womanhood, with Paul Harris as Dr Chasuble, rector of the parish, managing to win her over despite his effete flustering. All three brought comedy to their roles. But even the butlers and (in this unabridged version) the lawyer are given the Wilde treatment. Ian Long (Lane), David Hampton (Merriman) and Clive Madel (Gribsby) all played well, eliciting laughs from an appreciative audience.

The costumes were excellent and programme credits for the individual production staff are totally justifiable. My only gripe is the rather austere set which, whilst finely furnished, seemed rather Spartan on the walls: surely a Mayfair flat and a country house drawing room would have been more sumptuous? (We have been rather used to high standards of set designs at EAT!) Wilde can easily become lumpy and leaden but there was nothing heavy going in this lively and pacy production which provided an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

Steve Spencer

Kentish Times | 15 October 2009

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