Review: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING OSCAR, Reading Rep Theatre
Marc Brenner
The collaboration of Original Theatre and Reading Rep in bringing to the stage a revival of Michael Mac Liammoir’s The Importance of Being Oscar within a mile of Reading Gaol adds a poignancy and connection to this fascinating insightful biography of the infamous wit and playwright who languished in that prison for two years (1895-1897). Original Theatre has developed a reputation for innovative and interesting productions usually captured for streaming on their platform, most recently capturing David Suchet: Poirot and more but also producing the wonderful Being Mr Wickham, a one-man production with Adrian Lukis. Reading Rep too have produced some clever innovative productions in their new home like A Wonderful Life and Jekyll and Hyde.
This title tempted Alistair Whatley, the Artistic Director of Original Theatre, to tackle himself the huge task of delivering the monologue based on the writings of Oscar Wilde and memoirs of his close associates Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie), Robbie Ross, and Ada Leverson (who he called The Sphinx). With an absolute minimum of props, he brilliantly brings to life their words in a narrative that chronologically follows Wilde’s life in London, America, Reading, France and Italy. The stripped back staging of a small, raised dais, a lamp standard and a stool limits his interactions, but drama is added by the simple clever lighting from the side of the stage designed by Chris Davey.
The extract from the 1890 play The Ideal Husband in which Sir Robert has a one-sided discussion with his Butler was beautifully played, while the section based on Picture of Dorian Gray wonderfully draws out what Wilde himself thought “ Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry, what the world thinks me; Dorian is what I would like to be — in other ages.”
His presentation of the famous speech by Lady Bracknell in which she interviews Jack Worthing as a potential suitor for her daughter Gwendolyn is delightfully executed concluding “You can hardly imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter- a girl brought up with the utmost care- to marry into a cloakroom and form an alliance with a parcel?”. It provides the comic highlight of the evening.
The recounting of The Ballad of Reading Gaol about the hanging in 1896 of Charles Wooldridge while Wilde was imprisoned is powerfully told pinned against the rear wall and lit by two uplighters and a spotlight was dramatic and impressive. The description of the nearby piece of land where the man was buried is chilling “In Reading gaol by Reading town, There is a pit of shame, And in it lies a wretched man, Eaten by teeth of flame, In burning winding-sheet he lies, And his grave has got no name.”
The long extract from the eighty-page letter written by Wilde to Bosie from Reading Gaol known as De Profundis, from the depth, was told with stillness from a stool and while the emotion and regret comes through, it felt it needed more animation to hold our attention. However, the description of how Wilde felt humiliated while being transferred to Reading by train when standing on Clapham Station in prisoner garb did powerfully convey the contrast between the acclaimed witty dramatist and the disgraced broken celebrity.
This is a very fine performance from Whatley creating Wilde, his characters and his associates with the simplest of changes of voices and a tilt of the head and a fascinating insight into the wit’s life. It would have been helped by a little more production, perhaps some projected images of locations or people, a writing desk and chair and a little more variation in the use of the stage space as the dais seemed confining forcing circumnavigation as the only movement. If you can’t get to Reading Rep by the 8th June to see this fascinating show then it should be available to watch in the future as it is being captured on 4th June and you can show your support for Original Theatres innovative work by visiting their website. Welcome - Original Theatre
*** Three stars
Reviewed by Nick Wayne