Last night I had the pleasure of attending The Library Theatre for the opening night of SUTCo’s production, The Importance of Being Earnest. I read this classic Oscar Wilde play for the first time studying English Literature here at Sheffield, and instantly fell in love with its witty portrayal of the absurdities of ‘high society’ Victorian life.
Having searched high and low for a chance to see this play live, I was grateful to be able to attend SUTCo’s production. They did a good job at bringing Wilde’s work to life on the stage, with a small cast directed by Amaara Qureshi. Even before the show began, the creative team’s multi-page digital programme showed just how much work has been put into this production, and that definitely translates into their work onstage as well.
First of all I want to mention the use of space. The actors’ motion was blocked very well, utilising the whole scenery, of which no part is made superfluous, from a chair to a watering can to the famous cucumber sandwiches. Illuminating this scenery throughout was a very simple soft yellow light, and scoring it was practically no music, which could potentially been seen as a downfall to the production’s creativity. But if we are asking for a faithful adaptation of Wilde’s dialogue-heavy play, I think a minimal stylistic approach was a good choice, as it really let the wit shine.
Speaking of wit, the best embodiment of this was definitely found in Toma Hoffman’s Algernon, a born comic actor. His hyperbolic enunciation showcased the class pretensions of the character, and this made his performance particularly stand out. Eden Houlberg’s Cecily and Chantelle Winder’s Gwendolen should also be highlighted for their deftly exaggerated mannerisms. Especially in their scene together, they perfectly portrayed the silliness and hypocrisies inherent in the late Victorian high society Wilde seeks to critique.
Occasionally I felt the physical comedy bordered a bit too much on slapstick, but this often did provide a great visual accompaniment to the comedy of the original script, which itself is left quite open to interpretation regarding the behaviour of the actors. Aside from the occasional line stumble or over-fast delivery, this was overall a very commendable opening night performance and I urge lovers of wit and theatre alike to grab a ticket for this show now.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
SUTCo’s The Importance of Being Earnest is playing until November 22nd at the Library Theatre. Tickets are available here
