Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre’s take on Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest spearheaded a stream of laughter on Thursday night, and for good reason: the performance was done very well. Still, it’s not without room for growth.
The play was once described as “a trivial comedy for serious people” by Wilde; if you study it, there is a lot more than comedy there. Much of the witty, dry British humour in it is borne from the universal human truths that Wilde brilliantly conveyed through occasionally outrageous humour.
There were times on Thursday when it was so over-dramatized by the well-rounded cast that it got in the way of itself. But it mainly worked, giving the effect of simultaneously escaping and confronting reality by watching the play, which is a psychic split that all good art should create. However, Wilde’s words were delivered in such a way that, at first, seemed to be plagued by nerves and opening-night butterflies in the stomach of Algernon Moncrieff, played by Kholby Wardell. He often spoke so fast in the first act that his words couldn’t be properly processed by the acoustics of the small—but vibrant—venue. He settled into his Victorian suit (which bore extremely prominent creases coming down the line of his rib cage from each button and looked as though it didn’t quite fit him) and delivered a by-and-large solid performance throughout, although he did stumble over one line.
Wardell didn’t let the nerves interfere with his confident stage presence and well-timed dramatic blocking, which lent well to his highly energetic character. Everyone on stage was full of a fresh, hilariously timed energy that rarely disappointed. The British accents were on point with the time period the play was set in, as well as the class of the characters and where they lived.
The set, designed by Laurin Kelsey, was both simple and complex enough to have a fascinating quality. The bright pink colours stuck out on stage and mixed well with the light and cheery mood of the play. This comedy was a good way to spend a night on the town. It shuts the brain off after a long day. It’s harmless. It’s fun. It’s a vacation from the mind. But don’t turn away for too long, because as with lots of British comedy, there’s a lot more to The Importance of Being Earnest than the laughter it creates.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Until July 17 $36-$46, Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre
(2657 Quadra Street)
bluebridgetheatre.ca