Erin Harrington reviews The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, directed by Kathleen Burns, at the Stewart Family Theatre at the Court Theatre, Saturday 21 February, 2026.
The first mainstage show of the Court Theatre’s 2026 season sets a very high bar for the year. Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest, a “trivial comedy for serious people”, follows the exploits of two men-about-town, Jack (Tom Eason) and Algernon (James Kupa). They each employ alternate identities to move between town and country and get out of irritating social obligations. It satirises late-Victorian manners, and plays with notions of freedom, (dis)respectability, wealth, identity and social norms. Jack – who goes by the name Ernest when in town – wants to marry Algie’s lovely, stylish cousin Gwendolyn (Emma Katene), who is likewise besotted with him, although this match is frowned upon by the domineering Lady Bracknell (Yvonne Martin). Algie takes an interest in Jack’s pretty young ward Cecily, borrowing the identity of Ernest to woo her. Cecily (Adriana Calabrese, in her Court debut), who lives at Jack’s country house, believes ‘Ernest’ to be Jack’s absent, rakish brother, who she has fantasised about marrying. This comic love plot and the confusion about (nonexistent) Ernests is accompanied by a subplot about Jack’s true origins as a foundling. This involves the past misdeeds of Cecily’s strict but hypocritical governess Miss Prism (Hillary Moulder), the object of affections of country rector Rev. Chasuble (Matt Hudson), who is torn between his public job and his private desires.
Oscar Wilde is one of the greatest comic writers in the English language. Director Kathleen Burns’ production excels at delivering the script’s rapid-fire patter, coupling it with strong, frequently absurd characterisation and high energy movement. This makes great use of the team’s skills in physical comedy, right from early moments involving some excellent sight gags with Algie’s butler. As the tensions between social mores and desires become strained, and the dual-identity plot more ridiculous, the characters become even more undignified, more like children playing at adults. We start silly, and end up delightfully camp and over the top. It all builds to a strong and satisfying finish.
It’s a real pleasure to watch a group of actors enjoy playing with each other so much. This is a show in which no one is truly who they make out to be, which provides great opportunity for characterisation and dramatic irony, and no matter where the focus is there is always someone to watch. The production is anchored in the terrific pairing of Kupa and Eason, whose strong, foppish physicality becomes increasingly competitive. The pair bounce off one another like arch rival tennis players as they move from friends to enemies and back again. Katene and Calabrese pair beautifully, their relationship swinging wildly between sisterly love and brattish rivalry. After 46 years at the Court, Yvonne Martin is a true grande dame, her imposing Lady Bracknell throwing bon mots about the place like lolly wrappers. Moulder pushes the comic potential of judgmental, moralistic Miss Prism to the point of parody, which is received very well by the audience, and offset by the benign softness of Hudson’s Reverend. Two manservants, each played impeccably by Cameron Clayton, flesh out the drama, emphasising the differences between town and country. The entire cast grab any gag they can while retaining their characters’ sense of humanity.
It feels like each production at the new theatre is an experiment in how to best use the space. Burns places almost all the action downstage, framing the performers with stylised set pieces that create a layered sense of depth and height. This concentrates the proximity between performers and audience – great for comedy – while keeping visibility in mind.
These choices are supported by terrific production design. This reflects the absolute best of the talents of the Court’s formidable team, from the incredible hats and hand-made bags, to the stylish costumes (Deborah Moor) and some inspired props (Julian Southgate), to lovely hanging tapestries and a very nice oversized rug, all signalling shifts in location and social standing. Southgate’s yellow-green set design is delectable, placing us in stylised drawing rooms and garden spaces that combine architectural structure and fluidity. It draws thoughtfully from the de rigeur Aestheticism of the late-Victorian period (including some of its Japanese influences) and its investment in beauty and appearance, which help emphasise the play’s own interest in surface and depth. There is a careful and no doubt challenging integration of elements: light (Giles Tanner), space, sound (Matt Short), blocking, movement, fabrics of many colours and finishes, soft furnishings, and operation (Geoff Nunn). It all looks and sounds marvellous.
This effervescent take on the play is delightful. It’s a silly, satirical production that takes its comedy very seriously indeed, and it is rightfully very well received on opening night. Kudos also to the Court for finally making their programmes available digitally. The physical items, which are still available, are lovely keepsakes, but this is a very welcome step in terms of accessibility and sustainability.
The Importance of Being Earnest runs until Saturday 21 March, 2026.
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