The performance of …Earnest? was a fresh immersive experience of the beloved comedy which challenges the audience to question how well they really do know Wilde’s renowned play. It begins as a usual staging of Wilde’s Earnest, however things quickly take a turn when one the actor playing Ernest is missing! This is where the characters engage an audience member into taking on the role, and no, this was not a staged actor but a genuine audience member.
Played in three acts, each act is amusing and unique, with the many unexpected twists throughout the play to keep you entertained. Everything is exaggerated with the characters using props for comedic purposes. Indeed, important papers are accidentally ripped up, a sword fight ensues with one sword and the other character unarmed, and Algernon even successfully rides a bicycle onto the stage. It is certainly fair to say that the play runs on chaos, but a professional kind, which makes it all the more enjoyable.
The cast did an amazing job at using the satire and ridicule of the play to their advantage, with the pompous attitude of Algernon (played by Guido Garcia Lueches) and droll posh voice Lady Bracknell uses (played by Judith Amsenga), all the cast put on a brilliant performance, encompassing the characters of the play but with their own comical boost. There were one or two moments where the joke was strung on longer than felt necessary, however it demonstrated how committed the cast of actors are to engaging the audience and taking improvisation to the next level. It felt just as Wilde intended as the audience are not meant to take the characters of this play seriously, we are meant to ridicule and laugh at them.
Throughout the performance, it became clear the actors are not afraid to obliterate the fourth wall, in fact the fourth wall is afraid of them. It is inspiring that a company run by a relatively small group can produce these clever performances that take what other plays might lack, namely engaging the audience to feel immersed in the action on stage which livens up everything. The company Say It Again, Sorry? call it ’interactive theatre’ where they break the fourth wall and enlist audience members into their lark.
By recasting the roles of the characters using audience members, it makes every performance unique for the cast and audience, and the interactive experience is made more memorable and engaging. Oscar Wilde would likely have enjoyed the cross-dressing and audience engagement with his piece which welcomes comedic creative licence. The play’s cast members offered a Q&A session after the performance where they answered the audience’s burning questions. It seems they thrive on using comedic plays but make the comedy their own, with their own set of writers behind the scenes and unpredictable plot twists that keep the audience entertained.
Overall, the performance was a perfect rendition of Wilde’s play, but took the humour to the next level, utilising prop mishaps, hilarious costume reveals and audience members to fill the roles of characters, all done to their advantage
Rating: ★★★★☆
…Earnest? played at the Crucible Theatre on May 20th 2025, is continuing its tour across the U.K.
