Garsington Opera's "Earnest" Achieves Delirious Heights

Gerald Barry's opera adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" has achieved new heights of delirium in Jack Furness's hyperactive staging at Garsington Opera. The production, which premiered recently, transforms Wilde's "trivial comedy for serious people" into an "opera of delirium," as described by Barry. The adaptation features a staccato mashup of speech and singing, with the composer Gerald Barry transposing Wilde's punchlines into this unique musical form. The orchestral scoring adds further wit, while the stage business injects a significant level of zaniness.

Furness's staging introduces several striking elements designed to avoid familiarity and amplify the comedic absurdity. These include a grand piano mounted on stilts, a herd of miniature cows, and a kangaroo that meets a grisly end. The set also features an enormous chaise longue that doubles as a slide and is subject to mysterious explosions during the dinner interval. A dirt floor and a working hose are utilized to mud-smear and soak the protagonists, contributing to the production's overall chaotic and nightmarish quality. Despite the efforts to shock and create a frenetic pace, the comedy is described as occasionally turning sour.

The production retains recognizable elements from Wilde's original play, such as the tall rack of white dinner plates, but reinterprets them within Barry's operatic framework. The combination of Barry's musical invention and Furness's visually extravagant and energetic direction creates a distinct and memorable theatrical experience. The opera's premiere at Garsington Opera has been met with critical attention for its bold and unconventional approach to a classic text.