Special Report: Stratford Shakespeare Festival Day #2

If you missed the first day’s coverage, click here.

The Stratford Festival has become somewhat of an annual tradition for my older family members. After years of being offered the opportunity to join them (who really likes theatre when they are young and dumb?), I finally decided that 2009 would be the year I pop my Stratfordian cherry.

I decided that I would like to review (yes I know Hearwax does not normally cover theatre, but that is why this is a “special report”) all four plays (over three days) that I was attending. Day #2 just finished, and here is my review for the day:

The Importance of Being Earnest

In terms of hype, most of what was garnered for this year’s performance of The Importance of Being Earnest was based solely on Brian Bedford (who also directs the play) playing the evil Lady Bracknell. Could you call that a gimmick? Sure, but not only is it a mighty good one, but Mr. Bedford does a better job than most women could.

You better believe it...that is a man (Picture from Stratford Shakespeare Festival website)

But despite him being the main attraction, all characters give strong performances (with special praise going to Mike Shara – who was in Cyrneau de Bergerac yesterday – as Algernon). The play’s strongest point is its dialogue, and it is delivered flawlessly throughout. Additionally, the set design is gorgeous, and all three sets have an infinite amount of detail that aren’t fully realized until each set is utilized by the end of each act. As for acts, it is the first play so far this trip that has three acts, but since they are only forty-five minutes each, the play breezes by before you know it.

Overall, this year’s rendition of The Importance of Being Earnest is full of smart laughs and witty dialogue (rarely does half-a- minute go by without some clever lifeism). Highly recommended as a comedy and a play as a whole.

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