The Importance of Being Earnest

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The Importance of Being Earnest

Day 4, an extended birthday run, at Ster-Kinekor Rosebank to watch "The Importance of Being Earnest". 


One of my favorite superhero movies of all time is Spider-Man 2. In the movie, Peter Parker's love interest, Mary-Jane Watson stars in a Broadway play called "The Importance of Being Earnest". I was always curious, always wanted to see this Oscar Wilde classic. A full circle moment, today I got to watch it on the big screen with Popcorn, Cream Soda with ice and crisp sound. Live theatre production straight from the UK, a production by National Theatre. Watching theatre on the big screen is so refreshing, there's even an interval, the cinema is in my life again, Janet de Kretser is my new best friend. 


Oscar Wilde is undoubtedly one of the greatest playwrights of all time. The writing on "The Importance of Being Earnest" is truly phenomenal, with wit, sarcasm, humor, irony, perfect pacing and beat by beat conversations that make dialogue naturalistic. 


The play follows two young gentlemen, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who use fake identities to escape social obligations and pursue romantic interests. Jack Worthing lives in the country but pretends to be “Earnest” in the city to enjoy a more carefree life. He wishes to marry Gwendolen Fairfax, who loves him mainly because she believes his name is Earnest. Algernon Moncrieff, Jack’s friend, visits Jack’s country estate using a made-up identity—posing as Jack’s fictitious brother "Earnest"—and falls in love with Cecily Cardew, Jack’s young ward. Chaos and humor ensue as identities are mistaken, secret pasts are revealed, and everyone ends up questioning who anyone really is. Sets change multiple times in the show, it's a theatrical production, drop the curtain and when you pull it up again, everything has changed.

Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo is Gwendolen Fax
Julian Bleach is Merriman
Sharon D Cant is Lady Bracknell
Ncuti Gatwa is Algernon Moncrieff
Hugh Skinner is Jack Worthing
Eliza Scanlen is Cecily

2 hours and 50 minutes with 15 minutes interval. 

Set and Costume by Rae Smith

Congratulations Max Webster and the whole team for a great show and a deserved standing. 

📷: Marc Brenner 


https://youtu.be/fHVxLwzjhSQ?si=NZYpQODcZMSd0TSk

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