REVIEW – THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING…EARNEST – EDINBURGH FRINGE

The Importance of Being… Earnest, the farcical classic by Oscar Wilde, is reinvented by Say It Again Sorry? A theatre company that aims to connect people with their inner artist – and this show does just that!

Upon entering the space, the red velvet sofa, armchair and old fashioned furnishings would have you believe that you’re here to watch a traditional adaptation for Wilde’s play. But you could not be more wrong…

Audience interaction is incorporated into a vast number of shows at the Fringe. But this takes audience participation to a new extreme – and its comedy genius. (Although don’t be put off by this, they ask for consent before you’re chosen, you won’t be dragged up on stage unwillingly).

Of the same ilk as Mischief Comedy’s The Play That Goes Wrong. This adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest has gone horribly wrong, and director Simon must do everything he can to ensure the show goes on.

The first challenge is that the actor playing Ernest Worthing hasn’t turned up. Someone from the audience is subsequently roped into playing the part. Yes, this is possibly the only show at the Fringe in which you could find yourself in the starring role.

Soon, cast members are dropping like flies, with audience members filling in the roles left right and centre. You may find yourself on stage delivering lines, painting or playing the piano.

It’s a testament to the (actual) cast of the production that the show still tells a story and remains hilarious throughout. There’s a certain level of improvisation required as no one knows what the audience members will do or how.

The Importance of Being… Earnest is uniquely brilliant, so much so it’ll be different every time you see it! This show is ingenious, so much fun and riotously funny. Get this on the West End now, please!

Absolute chaos…. Absolutely hilarious.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

2 Star Review 3 Star Review 4 Star Review 5 Star Review 2022 2023 Adaptation Almeida Cabaret Camden Fringe Cast Announcement Christmas Comedy Dance Drag Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Interviews Fringe Immersive Interviews Jukebox Musical LGBTQIA+ Lyric Hammersmith Manchester Musical New Musical News New Wimbledon Theatre North West Off West End Park Theatre Play Review Revival Richmond Theatre Round Up Royal Court Theatre Shakespeare Show Announcement Show Recommendations Soho Theatre Southwark Playhouse Touring Production VAULT Festival West End

  • A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
    The infamous Sh!t Faced Showtime are back in London with a festive edition, they have taken Dickens’ classic and put a drunken spin on it. The formula is the same as other iterations of the Shi!t Faced shows, one member of the cast has been boozing, and this time it is John Milton who plays Scrooge. Before the show, half a bottle of Jim Beam, some wine, and beer have been consumed in the previous 4 hours. The rest of the cast, try to keep the show on track, also aided by James Murfitt as the compere, Charles Dickens. The … More A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
  • A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
    Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, containing stacks of metal cabinets towering over the theatre, moveable by the cast to allow space for other central props like doors, beds and tables. In addition to this, the puppetry design by Matthew Forbes is incredibly clever, adding creepy elements to the show such … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
  • A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
    The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much affable, satirical back-and-forth commentary on the accepted myths & stereotypes of the Russian spirit & soul. Beset by the indignities of age, opportunism, graft, fatigue, the characters orbit one another, doomed to play out their roles in an unjust, predatory and saturnine universe. The play opens … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
  • PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
    Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and goes awry, disastrously so. The meta-comedy is filled with slapstick comedy, sometimes the humour may be predictable and silly, but it’s universally funny throughout – there is something for everyone here, and the laughs come thick and fast … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
  • GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
    Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, HighTide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more lightweight, with conventional structures, predictable plot twists and an over-reliance on external forces to drive narrative shoring up some of the less relatable aspects of the genre. Nicola Werenowska’s The Beach House, perhaps the cleanest of the three tales, tells of a mother and daughter’s … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE

One thought on “REVIEW – THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING…EARNEST – EDINBURGH FRINGE

Leave a Reply