Emus On Stage

Cheryl Butler’s interpretation of Oscar Wilde’s ‘ ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ was hilarious and just as witty as the original. Titled ever so slightly different, it was just enough to let us know that this would be no ordinary telling of The Importance of Being Earnest. 

The pacing of the piece was exceptional. Both actors, Kathryn Bray and Rachel Alexander, both took upon all 8 characters.  Originally we distinguished the different characters by jackets and hats. As the scenes got more complex, all the key costumes were discarded and the only thing that was left was physicality and voice. An old idea was never repeated. Clever new ways to tell the story were always easy to follow. The evolution of the changes perfectly matched the energy of the scene and kept everyone engaged. There was not one point where I was lost or confused in the storytelling. Both actors had unified with distinct character choices that the actors both played when being in a specific character.

The costume changes became key story telling elements and were just as entertaining as the story. There were times jackets were lost or hats were misplaced. The table and the coat rack even fell over. All these elements, whether intentional or not, were expertly worked. Both actors Bray and Alexander should be complemented on their ability to yield to each other. The duo seemed to be 2 peas in a pod both sharing the same brain. The organized chaos of this piece perfectly complemented Oscar Wilde’s wit. 

A key moment that really showed the intentional chaos was a 4 person scene with Algernon, Jack, Ceicily and Gwendolen. Only having 2 actors to make a 4 character scene can become quite interesting. However, both actors were amazingly able to pass a character like a baton between them. As a new character entered, the actor would change from the non speaking character to the new character. There were moments where 3 characters were speaking at the same time. Choreographed to perfection, hats and coats were outstretched alluding to an invisible character beside them, jackets were eloquently pulled off an actor and dressed on another until eventually they were just throwing costumes and holding the garments instead of wearing them. 

The Bray and Alexander’s physicality was also something to be commended for. Subconsciously, throughout the play the actors had been performing the characters with certain motions: Algenon with a cape flick and swift lean, Ceicily with a fluttering hand fan, Lady Bracknell with a looming posture. Towards the end of the play, the scenes became far too complex for costume changes. The actors would embellish the characters’ physicality adding another layer of humour and wit. 

Butler has an amazing ability to utilise her directorial craft to execute complex scenes with simplicity and precision. This piece is exactly what Fringe should be about, independent artists with a small budget creating something entertaining to watch with excellent craftsmanship. This is the peak of what should come out of a fringe festival! The creatives knew their material and genre well and were able to excel at creating a fresh take on a classic script.

RATING 

Performers Skill 5 / 5

Stage and Atmosphere 4 / 5

Value for Money PAID $0 TICKET PRICE $35  5 / 5

Entertainment Value 5 / 5

BONUS POINTS

Independent artist +1

20 / 20