In 2006, when David Woods and Jon Haynes first brought Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest to Melbourne, Malthouse Theatre audiences fell out of their seats in laughter. Now, the Ridiculusmus team triumphantly return this February to double down on the hilarious dishonesty.
In The Importance of Being Earnest (A Trivial Comedy for Serious People) – Jack and Algernon fabricate delicious double lives to escape the straitjacket of social norms and to find the lovers they desire.
This is Wilde’s most celebrated comedy, but in the hands of these two comedic daredevils, the hilarity hits break-neck speed as they gleefully act out every role, tumbling chaotically through impossible character changes. Yet between the absurd and masterful theatrics, the beating heart of Wilde’s humanity exposes itself.
David Woods and Jon Haynes first met in the early 1980s and established Ridiculusmus as a flagship UK performance group touring internationally with works that achieve the oxymoronic aim of being both serious and funny.
The company has created over 25 original theatre productions including Die! Die! Die! Old People Die!, Give Me Your Love, The Eradication of Schizophrenia in Western Lapland, Yes, Yes, Yes, How to be Funny, Say Nothing, Ideas Men and Tough Time, Nice Time.
“Exceptionally funny… glorious absurdity… makes you hear every line afresh.” – The Guardian
Adaptation: Jon Haynes, Jude Kelly, David Woods Featuring: Jon Haynes, David Woods Set and Costume Design: Zoë Atkinson Original Direction: Jude Kelly
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Coopers Malthouse, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank
Season: 18 February – 8 March 2020
Information and Bookings: www.malthousetheatre.com.au
Image: David Woods and Jon Haynes – photo by Zan Wimberley