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The Importance of Being Earnest
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Trelawn
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rated it 5 stars
Mar 28, 2017 01:46AM
I love this play. I have seen it a few times at The Abbey. They staged a fabulous all male production a few years back. There is a decent film version with Colin Firth and Rupert Everett as well. Looking forward to a reread.
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I got the annotated copy from the library today. I have watched the old film version of the play but that is it. Looking forward to it. I read very little plays. The last one was Pygmalion.
Trelawn wrote: "I love this play. I have seen it a few times at The Abbey. They staged a fabulous all male production a few years back. There is a decent film version with Colin Firth and Rupert Everett as well. L..."I have seen it a couple of times in the Gate. I love the Film version too. So this will be my first time reading it. I am going to try reading it first before watching the film again.
I'm going to the library and see if they have a copy if they don't I'll down load in to my kindle.
I've seen this performed and I've seen a film version. To my mind the film (can't recall who was in it) which was a filmed stage play with no audience, fell flat on its face. All the jokes were said and nobody reacted. The involving lines were spoken and nobody felt involved. Everyone was being polite and restrained and looking charming or severe. Very two dimensional. It was like a technical exercise. I blame the producer.
This is worth re-reading. The pace of the play and the wonderful wit is sheer pleasure. It's a high energy and fun story. Wilde wrote this because he was in need of fast money. The play was wtitten quickly and it shows how bright and quick witted Oscar Wilde was. This was the first book of his that I read and it's a great start for anyone who has an interest in Oscar Wilde.
I order it off Amazon and I also ordered the film with Colin Firth
I just love this play read it last year spent most of my time laugh at the idea of these two guys and their ladies well worth the read:-)
We watched the Colin Firth version last weekend . Very good adaption
I did see a couple of versions of the play online but nothing that seemed of any quality. Its on in Belfast at the moment but probably a bit far.
I agree that while Wilde's plays read well, you only get the full effect by watching them. TIoBE has so many great characters. I love Lady Bracknell. Judy Dench portrays here so well. Miss Prism is brilliant too. The story is completely over the top but so much fun.
Starting this tonight :)
I read this yesterday and enjoyed it. I kept envisoning the scenery as the sets used in the Gate Theatre Dublin and the actors as the ones from the film version of the play :). It comes from seeing the play more than once :)
While I love this story, do people think that a play set on such an improbable set of coincidences would work in a Modern play? If so does it just work in humorous works?
It would probably considered a "chick film " guys would have to be dragged to it .
Laughing at men complaining about being dragged to another Oscar Wilde Movie by their Girl Friends/Wifes :)
I think it would work if the wit and intelligence were still there. The plot was meant to be outrageous but it is the brilliant dialogue, the witty back and forth that makes this stand out. The characters are a high point too, always close to becoming caricatures but just reined in on time. Lady Bracknell could seem completely over the top but there is something in her motivations that make her vaguely recognisable even to a modern audience. As for Jack and Algie: while not many people construct an alter ego for themselves by travelling from home and taking a different name, it isn't unheard of for people to have hobbies/friends/ pursuits that allow them to escape or forget their everyday possibilities for a while. That's the beauty of Wilde, he depicts everyday people and situations, just in an overblown exagerrated form.
Beautifully said Trelawn. I agree. Wilde really did tap into regular people in a very clever way.
I have just finished reading this play and I had forgotten just how wonderful it was! The wit in it is just so quick and so fabulously farcical! Wilde at his most sublime.
