As we finish up the shortest month of the year and march into March, I can personally report that it has been an absolute thrill to be back in the theatre. Working Front Of House for Earnest and greeting you as you also came back has been a delight (and yes, I found the sherry! PHEW.)
From the sound of the laughter coming from the theatre (review included in this newsletter, and our thanks to Jennifer Paragreen who is also back!), our first full production in a very long time has been a resounding success. May the remainder of the season and the year be the same! I know the director and cast of The River are especially champing at the bit to get back to it as they've been on hiatus for so long, but at least that means they all surely know their lines by now, right?
The audience is the most important part of any production because, regardless of how good (or bad) your show may be - without an audience it is nothing.
So welcome back to everyone. It's so nice to see you.
Your editor,
Melanie
The Importance of Being Earnest
From left to right: James Madsden-Smith as Algernon and Jonny Kinnear as Jack.
Elle Sejean-Allen as Gwendolen and Jonny Kinnear as Jack.
Photos courtesy of Caroline Oxley.
As our February newsletter hits your inbox, our production of Earnest is drawing to the end of what has been a very successful run. Audiences have delighted at the performances, the costumes, the sets, the delivery of lines, the lines themselves and the sheer joy of being back at live performance.
A huge thank you needs to be extended to everybody who made this show possible, not least of which is our esteemed director Ellis Ebell, and the wonderful cast and crew he brought together. This has been a project long in the making and it sometimes feels that we started working on it shortly after the ink had dried on Oscar Wilde’s pen.
So, before we say farewell to Earnest and make space for Brothers next weekend, this may be an opportune moment to reflect. And how better than in rhyme.
When you think of the things that can go quite awry
Like props that get broken or set paint that won’t dry
Or auditioning failures that mean you can’t cast
A proper pandemic would likely come last.
When you think of the things that can cause you angst
Like a hole in the back of your leading man’s pants
Or an audience melee that turns into a brawl
A proper pandemic doesn’t figure at all.
And what of the circs that might cause a delay
Like not getting the rights for your favourite play
Or the committee kiboshing your request for a horse
A proper pandemic seemed unlikely of course
But a proper pandemic was offered instead
So thoughts of Earnest in ’20 went out of your head.
And ‘21 came with a lockdown or five
But you still persevered, kept your hopes alive.
Until it was time to get back on the stage
Rehearsals and schedules were now all the rage
Despite Christmas and COVID we trundled along
And got much more right than we ever got wrong.
The design was delightful, the costumes a dream
Cast and crew came together to form the perfect team
Props and that fireplace arrived like a dance
And that line with the handbag never failed to entrance.
And while a proper pandemic raged all around
The now Earnest family were sure to be found
Sharing a laugh but not sharing their food
And sharing their virus - as not to might be rude.
With that hurdle behind us and all as fit as a flea
We found ourselves back in the new WLT
Where the proper pandemic was slowly dispersing
And we were all busy with all the rehearsing.
Until finally came the thing no one really believed
Time to put on a show – look at what we’d achieved.
Through a proper pandemic we never lost sight
Of the joy and the brilliance of an opening night.
Production Co-ordinator (and poet!)
Maria Haughey
We had a very special matinee performance of The Importance of Being Earnest with Mary Little in the audience.
Mary played Cecily Cardew in the original WLT production in 1959 and here she is with Casey Bohan who is playing Cecily in our current production.
Photo courtesy of our current Miss Prism, Barbara Hughes
Williamstown Little Theatre The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Ellis Ebell
Performance - Friday 11 February 2022
Reviewer – Jennifer Paragreen
The first performance of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest was staged in London on Valentine’s Day 1895. Ever since then its wit and farcical elements have delighted audiences in hundreds of productions, both professional and amateur, throughout the English speaking world and, indeed, well beyond that.
This Victorian romantic comedy has timeless appeal, being infused with social satire and blessed with the humour of Oscar Wilde’s vigorous wit and flamboyant characters.
With a play so well known and well loved, director Ellis Ebell faced the challenge of presenting ‘an Earnest with a difference’ without sacrificing any of the humour or witty dialogue of the original.
Ellis decided to refresh the play by setting it in the early 1950’s and was aided and abetted in this quest by costume and set designer, Tony Tartaro.
From the onset, the 1950’s era was established visually by a carefully curated minimalist approach with furniture limited to two art deco black leather and chrome armchairs and a similarly styled dinner wagon while the immaculately clad butler, Lane, polished the crystal.
A rather hesitant piano version of Ivor Novello’s “Waltz of My Heart” emanated from offstage, ostensibly being played by Algernon. The song comes from the 1939 musical, The Dancing Years, which was turned into a popular movie in 1950 and so anchors WLT’s production securely in the early 1950s.
Tony Tartaro’s costume design had a similar effect with full skirts and narrow waists in vogue for the younger women. There were impeccably tailored outfits in strong, character defining, colours for all the women with matching millinery created by Shai Tabassi. Royal blue and emerald green with white piping dresses for Gwendolen, a simpler style in pastel pink for the youthful Cecily. Lady Bracknell’s first appearance was in a purple outfit of woollen lace and later a rusty red. Miss Prism was appropriately dowdy in a pleated skirt and a cardigan over a blouse primly fastened at the neck by a brooch.
Algernon and Jack’s suits were obviously custom–made, flamboyantly dandified and fitted perfectly. There was even a full mourning suit for Jack. Rev Dr Chasuble was suitably attired for his profession. The one exception to the pristine look was the much exploited Merriman whose dinner suit and demeanour looked appropriately careworn and dishevelled.
The Importance of Being Earnest relies for its success on the style of the actors in delivering Wilde’s witticisms and epigrams with upper class English accents and mannerisms de rigueur. WLT’s cast was superb in this respect.
James Madsen-Smith was a magnificent Algernon. Every lithe movement confirmed his character’s smug belief in his own cleverness, an effect augmented by telling facial expressions and voice modulation.
Jonny Kinnear, as Jack, was a good match for James as a dashing young bachelor and their repartee was highly entertaining. Later his exuberant enthusiasm on finding out that he ‘really had a brother’ was one of the play’s many highlights.
Margie Bainbridge was a redoubtable Lady Bracknell with a suitably imperious manner, making the most of every Wildean line – even the iconic one we were left to imagine*. Superb!
Gwendolyn is a character more obsessed with appearances than facts. Elle Sejean-Allen highlighted this with poses subtly directed to the audience as much as her stage counterpart in a nicely judged performance.
Casey Bohan captured Cecily’s flighty nature and youth very believably.
A larger than life Barbara Hughes vehemently conveyed Miss Prism’s disillusion with life in her instructions to Cecily, her (disguised) desperation in her pursuit of Rev Dr Chasuble and poor grasp of reality in the final scene.
Keith Hutton provided a nice mix of the affable and the doddery in his interpretation of the clergyman.
The diligent Andrew Wilde multitasked successfully as stage manager and both the butlers. His performance as Merriman was a real scene stealer as he trudged back and forth along a corridor at the whims of his employer, dutifully transporting a huge variety of luggage including cases, a hat box and a picnic basket, all assembled by the formidable props team.
There are so many “little” details that contributed to making this production of Earnest special.
The sparing art deco furniture in each scene, the superb Dior inspired 1950s fashions worn with little hats and matching gloves all spring to mind. The sound design, with Norman Camm at the piano recorded by James Holt, was remarkable, used in scene changes and sometimes as a soundtrack such as when Jack proposes to Gwendolen. The whimsy of the little logos associated with each cast member in Natalie Elphinstone’s stylish programme.
* The pièce de résistance was reducing Lady Bracknell’s most famous exclamation to a sputter.
Yes, this was an Earnest with a difference. It was fresh, and it was wonderful.
And it was so good to be back in the theatre again.
A hearty CONGRATULATIONS to our newest Life Member, Judi Clark.
Presented by and seen here with Barbara Hughes at our AGM, Friday 4th February.
Photo courtesy of Melanie Rowe
What a fabulous way to start our new year in our newly refurbished theatre! We had our AGM and then as is our usual wont, our first play opened the 2022 season.
At our AGM we bade farewell (for now) to a number of our committee members.
Robert Harsley, who has done a sterling job of ticketing did not nominate for our 2022 Committee but has offered to continue as Ticketing Manager. Thank you Bobby for all your years on Committee including many years managing FOH and supplies.
Another who chose not to nominate again is Maria Haughey who has been incredible in her dogged pursuit of appropriate grants to our benefit. We will miss Maria’s capacity for policy development and her hard work and her humour. We wish her well in her travels and future plans and truly appreciate the ongoing support she has offered and provides.
Our secretary Shirley Sydenham also did not nominate for committee. She has been on committee for over ten years and has been incredibly systematic, persistent and diligent in ensuring that all committee and theatre company processes and needs were met. We are going to miss her efficiency and thoroughness and thank her for all she has done. It has been a particularly challenging two years with our building development and as the ongoing contact between committee and building development, Shirley has provided enormous time and support ensuring we were informed. Her attention to detail and coordination skills were truly appreciated. Thank you Shirley, enjoy the time you now have on your hands!
The Importance of Being Earnest provided us with a truly wonderful start to our new season of plays. Ellis Ebell’s direction breathed new life into the play and Tony Tartaro’s set, costumes and props gave it a true touch of elegance. Congratulations to the cast and crew for a joyful and delightful season and start of a new era in WLT’s history.
Thank you to our audiences who had such faith in us and waited and finally were able to come along to enjoy our beautiful production of The Importance of Being Earnest. And to admire our beautifully refurbished building! Thank you, also, for your understanding as we managed through the glitches created in getting to know and use our refurbished space.
Our “new” pruned down committee of nine met the other evening. We are up and running as a committee managing all aspects of the theatre. Thank you to Brian Christopher for again taking on the role of Treasurer and who is also currently Acting Ticketing Manager. Peter Newling is our Secretary (Public Officer) as required by the incorporation of an association in Victoria. Steve Drumm is our new Vice President (congratulations and thank you) and our Facilities Co-ordinator. Emma Hunt is again our Front of House Manager, Alex Begg our Set Construction Manager, Tony Tartaro our Wardrobe Co-ordinator and Covid Officer, Roger Forsey Technical Officer and Melanie Rowe our Cues and News Editor and Props Co-ordinator. Most committee members have other roles within the company and on committee and I thank them for taking time and commitment to all aspects of the functioning of Williamstown Little Theatre.
Until next time,
Celia
Ticket enquiry? Ticket problem?
Ring WLT’s designated Ticket Line: 0447 340 665
Messages are answered promptly.
Email us at tickets@wlt.org.au
Please don't contact individual committee members
If you can't use your tickets, please contact us via the above methods. If on the day of the performance you find you can’t use your tickets or have spares, ring the Ticket Phone as soon as you can: Ticketing Manager will notify Front of House that those tickets are available for door sales.
Need something else?
We try to have up to date information for most enquiries online on the WLT website here.
Information on the website is easily accessible. If you click on each tab along the top, you can look for the topic you want. Most tabs have a drop down menu to select from or else they may be a single destination.
If you can’t find information you need, please use the ‘contact us’ tab and send a General Enquiry email and we will respond to you as quickly as possible.. By doing that you are also letting us know if some information is not there or that it is hard to find, in which case that can be remedied.
If you book for a group, please ensure everyone gets this information!
Our Theatre Historian Needs Your Help (again!)
Bob Glass, our resident WLT historian, is still busily working away at our 75th anniversary history update. But he needs your help again. He is particularly keen to get his hands on reviews or comments (or anything really) in relation to three productions in the 1970s.
They are: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1974) – a joint production with Pumpkin Theatre; Charley’s Aunt (1975); and Butterflies are Free (1976).
Each of these productions seems to have been good/ popular – the theatre records say that the Theatre had to turn away people wanting tickets for Charley’s Aunt. But our files don’t have anything in the way of reviews or notes about those shows.
His message for anyone who may’ve been involved in one of those shows - raid the shoe boxes! Or your theatre scrapbooks.
