Say It Again Sorry? Theatre Company’s production of The Importance Of Being Earnest is an absolute hoot.
It all starts as a typical performance of Oscar Wilde’s play, but things start to go wrong when the actor playing Earnest fails to turn up, causing consternation amongst the cast and particularly the director Simon (Josh Haberfield), together with the deadpan stage manager Josh (Ben Mann).
But in the theatrical tradition of ‘the show must go on’, he turns to the audience for help, and this is when the fun really starts to begin.
However, will there be anyone who would volunteer? Bill, a policeman, declines the starring role, but Philip nervously agrees and is invited on stage to play the part. The script is cleverly devised so the cast can help our newly found Earnest to learn the lines, with hilarious results.
Guido Garcia Lueches gallantly carries on playing Algernon with ever-decreasing confidence as the play crumbles around him, despite the help from Lane (Rhys Tees). These two performers make the perfect comic duo.
It’s a wonderful, boisterous farce that the audience enthusiastically entered into and loved it as we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Oscar Wilde.
Things take a turn for the worst when the fierce Lady Bracknell (Judith Amsenga) loses her voice whilst giving Philip a stage voice lesson and a replacement has to be found for her. This time, a male audience volunteer takes the part.
Trinity Silk is splendid as Gwendolen who, as the play develops, becomes quite drunk as she drank real wine instead of the non-alcohol stage variety and, yes, she also has to be substituted.
There are many moments of pure slapstick humour and it is full of unexpected surprises and very funny skits, including an open audition, an absurd question and answer session and a sword duel with only one sword.
After the interval, the stage is by now filled by audience members playing most of the characters, much to everyone’s delight as they were egged on in their new roles.
They were all jolly good sports in what was the funniest, most enjoyable show that thoroughly deserved the spirited applause. Absolutely bonkers!