Go Wilde!
On
a cold, snowy Super Bowl Sunday there might be no better place to be than
snuggled up in front of the big screen at home with pizza, wings, beer and
close friends.
If
you’re not the sporting type, however, and you’re looking for something a
little more… civil…you might consider
Neptune Theatre’s current production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
Wry,
witty, whimsical and warm, the work is the Irish scribe’s best, and best-known,
play - and a particular pleasure for patrons of the English language.
As
a key stepping stone in the transition from Shakespearean script to modern
speak, Wilde bridged that gap with both style and substance; turns-of-phrase
are firmly tongue-in-cheek, sleight-of-handling is hallmark, and timing and nuance
are critical components of this three-act, late-19th century
romantic comedy.
As
such, the two-hour and twenty-minute performance spins upon the axis of
dialogue.
Credit
Neptune’s Artistic Director George Pothitis for having the eye (and ear) to cast
the production accordingly; both David Leyshon (as lead Jack Worthing) and
Marla McLean (as Gwendolin Fairfax) do the diction justice, as do Vanessa
Walton-Bone (Lady Bracknell) and Elizabeth Richardson (Miss Prism), each of
whom bring invaluable stage-experience to their respective roles.
Michael
Therriault (as Algernon) and Chilina Kennedy (as Cecily Cardew) steal the soiree
however; specifically, their witty banter (and feisty flirtations) in the
second act is wonderfully accentuated by each actor’s strong physical presence
and an overarching sense of the absurd.
And
that is the work’s appeal; with sets and lighting that are minimal (yet vibrant
and plush), Wilde’s words and phrasings are afforded their proper time and
space to breathe, bringing the piece (and thus the times) to life.
The Importance of Being
Earnest
may be a far cry from the razzle-dazzle glitz and glamour Super Bowl Sunday,
but with the sensory overload inherent to that event, Neptune Theatre’s
production of this classic ‘rom-com’ is both a welcome relief and a sure slice
of civility. ~ SPC
The Importance of Being
Earnest
until February 17 at Neptune Theatre in Halifax
www.neptunetheatre.com 
