In upper-class Victorian society where marriage is for status and social position determines worth, it is only natural to seek an escape from suffocating social expectations. In Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s rendition of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, the cast and crew playfully reflected the social norms synonymous with this era and the ridiculously high esteem that was often attached to them.
On April 1, Sock ‘n’ Buskin put on the first and only performance of the play’s rescheduled run, after a positive COVID-19 case delayed the play’s initial run by two weeks. The cast and crew adapted well despite the circumstances and put on an entertaining performance that kept audience members laughing all night.
The Importance of Being Earnest follows John Worthing and Algernon Montcliff as they assume alter egos, both named Ernest, to catch the attention of their respective love interests. Struggling to maintain their deception, they end up in the same place at the same time using the same name. In a hilarious tale of misadventure, drama and farce, Wilde ridicules the lives of the Victorian upper class with this unconventional, funny and lovable group of characters.
Director Josiah McLellan went above and beyond to carry the farcical comedy beyond the play’s script. Details such as the brilliantly articulated British accents employed by each actor and over-the-top physicality helped elevate the play above Wilde’s scripted humour to another level of ludicrous comedy.
McLellan also stepped in at the last minute to fill the role of John Worthing after Bo Doyle had to step down due to health concerns unrelated to COVID-19. McLellan showed remarkable versatility, settling naturally and confidently into their character’s calculated, upper-class persona. During a significant mixup in Act II when the actors started saying each other’s lines, McLellan smoothly and comically recovered as they guided the other actors back on script, never stepping out of character.
In the role of Montcliff, Thomas Feldman was witty, jocular and passionate. He brought his lines to life and filled each scene with scintillating humour through impeccable comedic timing and natural stage presence. Feldman laughably bit off pieces of the prop food without removing his mask, adapting his character’s constant hunger to be COVID-19 safe and keeping audience members chuckling.
Abbey Sugars-Keen captured the essence of Lady Bracknell as the embodiment of traditional, upper-class respectability. Using a matter-of-fact manner of speech to point out the social wrongdoings of others, Sugars-Keen added to the comedic effect of the unintentional humour that Wilde intended with her character’s lines.
Playing Cecily Cardew, Arianna Fuke graced the stage with a gentle eagerness, thoughtfully portraying her character’s development as she tried to balance the omnipresent social expectations with her imaginative, romantic personality. Hayley Forbes rose to the occasion of playing the conventional Gwendolyn Fairfax with carefully calculated physicality and an air of sophistication in her line delivery.
In the role of Merriman the butler, Maggie Harder had audience members laughing as she brought a fresh, comedic interpretation to her character. As the other characters impatiently awaited Merriman’s departure from the scene before resuming their conversation, Harder comically portrayed her character’s complete obliviousness to the situation through her slow speech and a hilariously unhurried stride.
If there’s one thing to be taken away from this farcical social commentary, it is to never take society’s expectations, or oneself, too seriously. More than a century after its publication, the cast and crew showed that The Importance of Being Earnest’s famous comedic appeal is well-preserved and is sure to provide a night of entertainment for all.
Featured image by Arno Ryser/The Charlatan.
