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The Importance of Being Earnest.
The Set
There are black curtains at rear and three black curtains through which the actors can enter and exit at each side wall of the stage.
In the centre of the stage a wide dark circle, with a jagged white circumference, is surrounded at left right and rear by broad black painted stairs. The stairs are in seven groups of seven, each ascending to a level platform area, on which is a chaise longue with opening lid under which various items are stored. Each chaise longue is covered in a fringed patterned Turkish rug of faded pink and grey, and each has its own cushion. There are three flights of seven steps with three chaises longues on the left side, with one higher area and chaise longue at the middle back and two on the right. A seventh chaise longue is made from a long black box in which a rug and cushions are stored. It sits centre stage but can be pulled backwards or forwards. The stairs take up the whole of the stage at the back, and can be climbed from each side and from the centre. The surrounding steps and chaises longues remain constant throughout the play. It is the lowest central area of the stage which becomes the different locations.
Small lights attached to the side of a step illuminate each chaise longue.
A small pile of books sits on the first step on the left. Large spotlights are at each side of the stage, smaller lights across the front. Another light shines through gaps under the stairs at back right.
Below the curve of the stairs on the left, is a large double cupboard, high enough to allow the actors to leave and enter, and in which changes of costumes are hung.
The pianist sits behind his grand piano on the far right at the front of the stage. In the first half the piano is in a room adjoining the drawing room.
Algernon’s flat is furnished in elegant fashion: to the right, a wrought iron table is covered with a white tablecloth, and chintz covers are placed over three wrought iron chairs. A china tea set and a cake stand are on the table. Two candlesticks are on the mantelpiece left. The long box covered with a brocade rug, is decked out with cushions and becomes a sofa at the centre back of the room.
For the garden scene in the Manor House in the country, the wrought iron furniture is uncovered to reveal its structure and two green hedges and one of large, white clematis-like flowers, are pulled out from under the stairs. A pair of shears and a trowel are stuck to the front of the green hedges and a small watering can sits on the steps to the right, just behind the piano. Tall stemmed roses are attached by Cicely and Miss Prism to the front of the stage. In this scene the women arrive carrying gardening trugs.
The round wrought iron table and two chairs are placed to the left. Hard backed books are piled on the table.
The morning room at the manor house has tall white French windows at the rear with small, glass free, square panes. A floral patterned rug covers the chaise longue centre stage, matching floral covers are on the three chairs placed to the front right at the round table. Two vases of roses sit on the stairs far right. A book-shelf with books opens out from the side of the stairs, left.
ACTORS:
All seven actors are male, and at the start of the play they are resplendent in long cream-coloured dressing gowns, with simulated fur collars and reveres, and deep faux fur cuffs, covering identical white, wide-sleeved shirts and brown cravats under cream trousers and buttoned waistcoats with beige suede shoes. With their longish hair parted in the centre they are all Oscar Wilde look-alikes.
As females, they all wear sleeveless blue flower-patterned pinafores with two tucks at hem, blue under skirts, sashes of pink tied round the waist, and broad brimmed hessian sun hats trimmed round the crown with satin roses. They carry small lacy parasols, trimmed with more roses.
To become individual characters, they add jackets, wrap-over skirts, hats.
All seven are often on stage at the same time, with those not speaking reclining on the couches and providing a “Greek”chorus of humming, singing, and movement.
LADY BRACKNELL is played by ROSS ANDERSON.
Lady Bracknell has a plump broad face, dark hair with middle parting, curling round her face, small nose, and rose bud lips, and distinct five-o’clock shadow. Broad shouldered, and rotund, she wears a floor length flower patterned skirt, with wide panels of dark pink, with the shirt and waistcoat, and carries a small tapestry bag. She uses a lorgnette to examine Cecily.
MISS PRISM is played by RICHARD CROXFORD. She has rouged cheek bones, small nose, wide mouth with narrow lips, and straight brown hair. She wears a wrap over long beige skirt with the shirt and waistcoat, and small upturned hat with a brim, trimmed with one white rose. Miss Prism carries a black and red fan.
RICHARD Croxford also plays LANE the butler, wearing a black tail coat.
The HON. GWENDOLYN FAIRFAX is played by SAMUEL TOWNSEND.
She wears a long cream skirt, and carries a matching clutch bag. She has a round face, neat nose, thick brown hair with middle parting, wide mouth plump cheeks, and expressive eyes. She is given to stamping her foot, and heaving large sighs.
CECILY CARDEW is played by JOSEPH LAW. Extremely tall and slim, she wears a lilac wrap over floor length skirt, and underskirt. With a long oval face, she has a small mouth and pointed chin. Her thick brown hair, parted in the middle, curls to just below her ears. Her wide mouth has thin lips, and her nose is long and thin.
ALGERNON MONCRIEFF is played by JOSEPH DERRINGTON. Young with a full face, and cheeks, he has a small nose and mouth. His thick brown hair has a centre parting and he has dark eyebrows. He is broad shouldered and appears wearing a pale grey jacket with darker grey checks.
JACK WORTHING has short brown curly hair, and ears a brown bow tie, shirt with turnover collar, and very loud long brown jacket split at the back, patterned with beige and cream diamond shapes. His oval face has a lined forehead, broad nose, brown eyes and eyebrows and small mouth. Later he wears a funereal-looking black frock-coat. He is played by JOSEPH O’MALLEY
DR. CHASUBLE is acted by KARL O’NEILL. In his fifties, he has grey hair, balding on top, white eyebrows, high cheek bones and lined thin face. Under his long black frock coat he has a white clerical collar and black collarless shirt. He wears a Panama hat As MERRIMAN, servant to Jack, Karl O’Neill wears a black tail coat, and is most obsequious.
The Importance of Being Earnest is presented by Bruiser Theatre Company, directed by Lisa May with Matthew Reeve as the composer and musical director. Set design is by Diana Ennis and costumes by Carla Barrow. Tonight’s audio-description has been prepared and is delivered by Sara and Kate from Sightlines NI. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or visit our website www.nisightlines.co.uk We hope you enjoy the show.
The Set
There are black curtains at rear and three black curtains through which the actors can enter and exit at each side wall of the stage.
In the centre of the stage a wide dark circle, with a jagged white circumference, is surrounded at left right and rear by broad black painted stairs. The stairs are in seven groups of seven, each ascending to a level platform area, on which is a chaise longue with opening lid under which various items are stored. Each chaise longue is covered in a fringed patterned Turkish rug of faded pink and grey, and each has its own cushion. There are three flights of seven steps with three chaises longues on the left side, with one higher area and chaise longue at the middle back and two on the right. A seventh chaise longue is made from a long black box in which a rug and cushions are stored. It sits centre stage but can be pulled backwards or forwards. The stairs take up the whole of the stage at the back, and can be climbed from each side and from the centre. The surrounding steps and chaises longues remain constant throughout the play. It is the lowest central area of the stage which becomes the different locations.
Small lights attached to the side of a step illuminate each chaise longue.
A small pile of books sits on the first step on the left. Large spotlights are at each side of the stage, smaller lights across the front. Another light shines through gaps under the stairs at back right.
Below the curve of the stairs on the left, is a large double cupboard, high enough to allow the actors to leave and enter, and in which changes of costumes are hung.
The pianist sits behind his grand piano on the far right at the front of the stage. In the first half the piano is in a room adjoining the drawing room.
Algernon’s flat is furnished in elegant fashion: to the right, a wrought iron table is covered with a white tablecloth, and chintz covers are placed over three wrought iron chairs. A china tea set and a cake stand are on the table. Two candlesticks are on the mantelpiece left. The long box covered with a brocade rug, is decked out with cushions and becomes a sofa at the centre back of the room.
For the garden scene in the Manor House in the country, the wrought iron furniture is uncovered to reveal its structure and two green hedges and one of large, white clematis-like flowers, are pulled out from under the stairs. A pair of shears and a trowel are stuck to the front of the green hedges and a small watering can sits on the steps to the right, just behind the piano. Tall stemmed roses are attached by Cicely and Miss Prism to the front of the stage. In this scene the women arrive carrying gardening trugs.
The round wrought iron table and two chairs are placed to the left. Hard backed books are piled on the table.
The morning room at the manor house has tall white French windows at the rear with small, glass free, square panes. A floral patterned rug covers the chaise longue centre stage, matching floral covers are on the three chairs placed to the front right at the round table. Two vases of roses sit on the stairs far right. A book-shelf with books opens out from the side of the stairs, left.
ACTORS:
All seven actors are male, and at the start of the play they are resplendent in long cream-coloured dressing gowns, with simulated fur collars and reveres, and deep faux fur cuffs, covering identical white, wide-sleeved shirts and brown cravats under cream trousers and buttoned waistcoats with beige suede shoes. With their longish hair parted in the centre they are all Oscar Wilde look-alikes.
As females, they all wear sleeveless blue flower-patterned pinafores with two tucks at hem, blue under skirts, sashes of pink tied round the waist, and broad brimmed hessian sun hats trimmed round the crown with satin roses. They carry small lacy parasols, trimmed with more roses.
To become individual characters, they add jackets, wrap-over skirts, hats.
All seven are often on stage at the same time, with those not speaking reclining on the couches and providing a “Greek”chorus of humming, singing, and movement.
LADY BRACKNELL is played by ROSS ANDERSON.
Lady Bracknell has a plump broad face, dark hair with middle parting, curling round her face, small nose, and rose bud lips, and distinct five-o’clock shadow. Broad shouldered, and rotund, she wears a floor length flower patterned skirt, with wide panels of dark pink, with the shirt and waistcoat, and carries a small tapestry bag. She uses a lorgnette to examine Cecily.
MISS PRISM is played by RICHARD CROXFORD. She has rouged cheek bones, small nose, wide mouth with narrow lips, and straight brown hair. She wears a wrap over long beige skirt with the shirt and waistcoat, and small upturned hat with a brim, trimmed with one white rose. Miss Prism carries a black and red fan.
RICHARD Croxford also plays LANE the butler, wearing a black tail coat.
The HON. GWENDOLYN FAIRFAX is played by SAMUEL TOWNSEND.
She wears a long cream skirt, and carries a matching clutch bag. She has a round face, neat nose, thick brown hair with middle parting, wide mouth plump cheeks, and expressive eyes. She is given to stamping her foot, and heaving large sighs.
CECILY CARDEW is played by JOSEPH LAW. Extremely tall and slim, she wears a lilac wrap over floor length skirt, and underskirt. With a long oval face, she has a small mouth and pointed chin. Her thick brown hair, parted in the middle, curls to just below her ears. Her wide mouth has thin lips, and her nose is long and thin.
ALGERNON MONCRIEFF is played by JOSEPH DERRINGTON. Young with a full face, and cheeks, he has a small nose and mouth. His thick brown hair has a centre parting and he has dark eyebrows. He is broad shouldered and appears wearing a pale grey jacket with darker grey checks.
JACK WORTHING has short brown curly hair, and ears a brown bow tie, shirt with turnover collar, and very loud long brown jacket split at the back, patterned with beige and cream diamond shapes. His oval face has a lined forehead, broad nose, brown eyes and eyebrows and small mouth. Later he wears a funereal-looking black frock-coat. He is played by JOSEPH O’MALLEY
DR. CHASUBLE is acted by KARL O’NEILL. In his fifties, he has grey hair, balding on top, white eyebrows, high cheek bones and lined thin face. Under his long black frock coat he has a white clerical collar and black collarless shirt. He wears a Panama hat As MERRIMAN, servant to Jack, Karl O’Neill wears a black tail coat, and is most obsequious.
The Importance of Being Earnest is presented by Bruiser Theatre Company, directed by Lisa May with Matthew Reeve as the composer and musical director. Set design is by Diana Ennis and costumes by Carla Barrow. Tonight’s audio-description has been prepared and is delivered by Sara and Kate from Sightlines NI. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or visit our website www.nisightlines.co.uk We hope you enjoy the show.
