This is one of a series of outdoor productions presented by The Arts Centre, Hounslow, as part of a summer residency in Boston Manor Park’s recently restored Walled Garden. It’s a beautiful spot to while away a summer afternoon/evening, with the apple trees and flower beds doing a grand job of standing in for the Manor House garden in Act 2 of Wilde’s well-known farce. Subtitled, ‘A Trivial Comedy for Serious People’, there is so much celebrated wit on display here that it proves a challenge for the cast to live up to, but they give it a good shot. To make their own mark on the play, each half begins and ends with harmonised ensemble singing (inspired by Bridgerton, perhaps?), which takes a modern pop song and gives it a traditional makeover. It works really well – the cast have excellent voices and the arrangements are fun.
The play depicts the tangled affairs of two young men, Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing, who both lead double lives: Jack as ‘Earnest’ Worthing, his own rather louche brother; and Algie the ‘Bunburyist’, who has invented a sick friend called Bunbury whom he uses to excuse himself from family engagements he prefers to avoid. Matthew McGoldrick as Jack put in a solid performance, growing visibly more confident in the second act, and David Ewen Riley did a fine job as Moncrieff, making the audience warm to his jolly character despite a little brain fog along the way (for which we can reasonably blame the heat – the cast, in their heavy Victorian outfits, needed to have water on stage just in case, whilst the audience were all on the same side of the aisle because it was the only area in the shade!). Wilde rather sabotages any actor playing Algie by making the character eternally hungry: in Act 1 he has to eat all the cucumber sandwiches while waiting for his aunt’s arrival, which makes the delivery of his lines a much more difficult task, and we all felt for Riley when he was forced to eat a plate full of muffins in the second half, clearly finding it an indigestible challenge!
The play features the infamous Lady Bracknell, played well by the talented Phoebe Jones. Unfortunately, she is much too young for the role and wears the most enormous hats to try and hide her youth. It must be daunting to know that there is a plethora of lauded actors who have taken on this iconic role in theatre and film, and the play would have had more credence if an older person had played this part. Nevertheless, Jones handles the role well and even finds her own take on her character’s most famous line, “A handbag?!?”
Danni Ashby as Gwendolen Fairfax and Lottie Bond-Taylor as Cecily Cardew both showed great comic prowess as the perfect foils to Algernon and Jack, their would-be suitors (both by now going under the name ‘Ernest’). Making up the rest of the cast are Sophie Spencer as Miss Prism and Hounslow Arts Centre co-founder Jonathan Ashby-Rock, who plays multiple roles. As everyone comes together in the second half, Wilde’s snappy dialogue is at its finest here, and there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
Almost 130 years after its premiere, Wilde’s comedy remains sharp, hilarious, and very fast-paced—so much so that the cast sometimes struggles to keep up. Although there are areas for improvement, this is a highly entertaining show set in a charming venue. A perfect summertime treat.
Review by Fiona Gilbert
The Walled Garden reveals its next secret: Wilde’s sparkling wit comes to life among ancient stones.
The Importance of Being Earnest finds its perfect setting where nature and history conspire to create something extraordinary.
What delightful scandals will unfold where the roses bloom?
Lady Bracknell awaits your presence in Boston Manor’s most enchanting corner.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
The Walled Garden, Boston Manor Park
9 to 25 August 2025
