Linford Hydes and Samuel Harris in Ernest at the Etcetera Theatre, London. Picture: Robert Piwko
Ernest continues until 8 December at the Etcetera Theatre, London.
Not for the first time, Oscar Wilde’s ‘Trivial Comedy for Serious People’ is brought to life on the stage in the form of a musical, this fun, frothy version courtesy of the All in One Theatre Company. Billing itself as the country’s premier (and still perhaps only) Neo-Absurdist Theatre Company, All in One was founded in 2010 by artistic director Phil Jacobs as a “non realist, imagination-based theatre group”. This quirky interpretation of The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Pamela Schermann, is the group’s first stab at a stage musical. And yes, it’s just a little bit absurd, but thankfully not too much…
As the audience take their seats, they’re treated to highlights from the show’s score, played by MD David Merriman. The single act opens on a dark stage dressed with just a small table and chairs, a partly-clad mannequin and a pop-art screen print of Oscar Wilde. This self-referential artwork is the first sign that things aren’t going to be quite what you might expect. When the first actor appears – the very capable Samuel Harris, who we later learn is Jack – he’s in modern dress, and his first task is to boot up a laptop (with a neat bit of musical accompaniment for the Windows start-up ping!). Having logged on, Jack slips into 19th-century garb and is joined by the equally engaging Linford Hydes as the dapper Algernon, and suddenly we’re at the start of the play as we might recognise it, taking tea at Algie’s flat in Half Moon Street.
What follows is, for the large part, a delightful musical retelling of the familiar story, with jolly songs that attempt – with a certain degree of success – to mirror Wilde’s own florid and acerbic dialogue. The musical numbers, composed by Jacobs, are simple and short, with nicely hummable melodies, and the cast clearly enjoys belting them out. The music has a modern, pop sensibility and the lyrics are loaded with modern vernacular, which jars somewhat with the setting, but this gentle absurdity is part of the show’s charm.
With a running time of about an hour, it’s a whiste-stop tour of the story – like a musical CliffsNotes study guide or an extended episode of Horrible Histories. There’s not a great deal of substance to the nonsense source material, of course, but this musical version still feels a tad rushed, and I could have easily sat through another 20 minutes. (Where was Lady Bracknell’s classic line “A handbag?!”, for example? Surely a missed musical opportunity there.) But the cast are youthful and energetic – with Cassandra Foster shining most brightly as Gwendolen.
I also appreciate the effort that Jacobs makes to draw parallels between Jack’s and Algie’s fake personas and the online personas that the modern-day Jack presumably creates for himself. I’m not totally sure what the point of it all is – perhaps that we needlessly complicate our lives by falsifying our identities? – but it nevertheless helps to elevate the show to a different level and spares us from a bland retelling of a well-worn play. Ultimately, it remains a light cucumber sandwich of a show, but it’s equally as refreshing and still as quintessentially English. If you’re a fan of the musical fringe, don’t miss it.
Craig Glenday
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