The Importance of Being Ernest, Malvern Festival Theatre May 2015.
This was a new twist on the popular Oscar Wilde satire of polite society norms and shallow expectations. As two young men fight to win the affections of their chosen ladies, they have to contend with the odd belief that they could only love a man called Ernest – a pity as one is called John and the other Algernon! To add to their worries, the formidable aunt Lady Bracknell is there to insist Victorian conventions of courtship are followed, in this case superbly played by David Suchet (without the famous Poirot moustache of course).
It was a slick, professional and fast-moving production that had the audience chuckling throughout. Cecily nearly throwing up into her hanky when she found out she had just kissed someone called ‘Algernon’ was inspired! It all ends happily, of course, and was certainly worth seeing this exceptional cast work so beautifully together.
