Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Low Down
…Earnest is the epitome of what it means to say ‘the show must go on.’ This unbelievably funny play gets the whole room involved as an attempt is made to stage the Oscar Wilde classic.
Review
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is perhaps his most famous and lasting work. The comedy of mistaken identities and Victorian antics has had remarkable staying power over the last 125 years. This means, of course, that there have been countless productions of the classic spanning a myriad of theatrical styles. …Earnest is a refreshingly new take that brings the absurdity of the play to new heights.
There are a number of well-known theatrical sayings, but perhaps none as much as “the show must go on!” This phrase is central to the …Earnest plot. Our characters go to enormous lengths to deliver a successful play — or as close to one as possible. Stumbles and follies occur throughout the show, leading to an increasingly chaotic scene as the show deteriorates. The mix of slapstick and physical comedy delighted the diverse audience, while clever references to the Victorian script were dropped like Easter Egg for fans of the original play. The show elicited laughter from everyone in the audience, which seemed to include children as young as five, and a great many senior citizens (whose ages I fear it would be rude to speculate), making it a true family show.
The production doubles down on its play within a play scenario, all the way through the cast waiting outside after the show. Audience members are handed a double-sided programme that seems to list the actors twice, and we’re given constant glimpses backstage where our actors are playing actors playing characters. Given the quick and often confusing language Wilde wrote into the script, The Importance of Being Earnest is a difficult play to perform when all goes to plan. Add an extra character between yourself and, for example, Lady Bracknell, and the complexity increases tenfold. The entire cast took on this assignment and delivered a masterclass in character comedy.
This is not the first time …Earnest has been performed at the fringe, and I doubt it will be the last. Although shortened from their runs outside of Edinburgh, the play feels right at home in the chaos of the festival. In a field dominated by emotional stories and autobiographical tales, …Earnest provides an hour of escape, joy, and laughter.
