By Nick Pilgrim
For local readers over a certain age, the works of Oscar Wilde were staples in secondary and tertiary education. Known for their brilliant wordplay and caustic wit, Wilde slid nineteenth-century London society under the microscope for all to see.
To say his output runs the creative gamut is an understatement. Composing everything from children’s fiction like The Happy Prince (1888) to The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), a vaguely autobiographical gothic novel that taps into our deepest fears of aging and moral decay, Wilde has done it all.
However, it is through his drawing room explorations, the author truly shines. Written in quick succession, Lady Windemere’s Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), and An Ideal Husband (1895) were instant hits with British theatre-going audiences.
Written in the same year as An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Earnest is a particular favourite of this reviewer and arguably his most enduring success of all.
Not only did my school study it in Year 10, a year later, I got the chance to help showcase scenes along with several other students as part of our English Literature assessment.
Notable productions include filmed versions in 1952 and 2002 and a costumed extravaganza by the Sydney Theatre Company in 2023.
A humorous trifle of mistaken identities, petty rivalries, and class wars, the piece is as fresh and relevant today as it was 130 years ago. (One can only wonder if Wilde were alive now, whether he would be the head writer on sitcoms like Absolutely Fabulous or Frasier.)
As a long-time critic, I have had the privilege of reviewing a lot of content. On a personal note, when certain stories capture my attention, I allow myself to see them more than once. This opportunity alone makes for an interesting exercise.
Meaning, while the texts remain unchanged, how an organisation stages and interprets anything in their care may produce entirely different results.
Such is the case with Misfit Toys’ latest outing. Having been emailed the cast list mere hours before the show, I was eager to see how this dynamic team’s new version would pan out.
Dating back to the likes of Shakespeare and Japanese Kabuki, gender-bending role reversal or colour-blind casting are nothing new. West End revivals such as Stephen Sondheim’s Company (where the traditional male lead was played by a female), Cynthia Erivo’s title role in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl, and Audra McDonald’s star turn as Mama Rose in Gypsy on Broadway, continue to capture and invigorate public imagination.
In Misfit Toys’ confident hands, this expert ensemble is a total delight. In short, they have done their homework.
Pacing and tone are crucial to the success of Wilde’s wicked social commentary; the group bounces off each other with genuine chemistry and sophistication to spare. That they had me laughing out loud multiple times indicates their shared commitment to the nutty narrative’s twisted plot.
For anyone unfamiliar with the venue, the Motley Bauhaus reminds me of the (former) Butterfly Club in Carson Lane, The Little Theatre in Williamstown, and The Meat Market Stables in North Melbourne combined.
The enforced intimacy of this space means viewers are always at one with the actors. Giving the show extra dimension, we get to enjoy the performers’ facial expressions and choreographed body language up close and personal.
In order of appearance, the eight-strong cast are
- Janine McGrath (Lane/Merriman)
- Em Glencorse (Algernon Moncrieff)
- Sonia Marcon (Jack/Ernest Worthing)
- Karen S Yee (Lady Bracknell)
- Nisha Selvaraj (Gwendolyn Fairfax)
- Quinn Langsam-Jones (Cecily Cardew)
- Josephine Boffa (Miss Prism)
- Danni Robinson (Canon Chasuble)
(Due to illness, Robinson stepped heroically into the role normally played by Hayley Michaels.)
While very much a collaborative effort, each actor brings their best to the table.
Like a BBC sketch series brought to life, Glencorse and Marcon have that Je ne sais quoi, plus a bit of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie thrown in for good measure. Their good-natured riffing will hook viewers from the start.
Selvaraj and Langsam-Jones work the love-hate-love banter vital for their sisterly bonding to mesh.
Karen S Yee’s unique take on Lady Bracknell is a scheming mix of Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess of Grantham (Downton Abbey) and Michelle Yeoh’s Santa (Last Christmas) rolled into one. What a Dragon Lady!
Rounding out the group, McGrath, Boffa, and Robinson are appropriately appalled, bemused, and befuddled by their employers and colleagues when needed.
Solid creative support includes Sound Design (Patrick Weyland-Smith), Lighting and Sound Operation (Nicholas Duke), and Sharmini Kumar’s costumes sewn for Lady Bracknell and Gwendolyn Fairfax.
Set, costume co-ordination and pinpoint direction by DL Turnbull (with assistant direction by Danni Robinson), reflects the quirky dress-up box nature of this piece.
Very much a company allowing actors the chance to experience a vast realm of concepts and characters, I look forward to their next adventure with keen interest.
