REVIEW: Horsham’s Manor Theatre Group offers an enjoyable take on Wilde’s classic comedy

Manor Theatre Group presents The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde’s comedy The Importance of Being Earnest is well known for its quick-fire dialogue and wry observations about Victorian morality.

So it’s pleasing to see that the Manor Theatre Group performers capture these elements so nicely.

However, the most intriguing thing about this production is the way the actors don’t just rely on Wilde’s wit for their laughs.

Suzanne Cottingham as Gwendolen Fairfax with John Hope as John Worthing

Manor’s show has a surprisingly modern feel as the players make the most of opportunities for physical gags and amusing character mannerisms.

For example, Algernon’s butler Lane (John Oade) can’t resist stealing a cucumber sandwich in a moment of broad comedy. Similarly, John’s butler Merriman (Julian Tiley) delivers all his observations with a kind of exaggeratedly smarmy attitude. Andrew Bates, meanwhile, uses a weird stutter and ridiculously delicate tone-of-voice as Reverend Chasuble to show how ineffective and inattentive his character is.

Cecily Cardew (Kathryn Felton) and Gwendolen Fairfax (Suzanne Cottingham) get some good laughs for being easily excited and angered, while Miss Prism (Mandy Lovell) amuses when her mask of propriety slips.

As expected, Dennis Manning does well as Algernon Moncrieff, using quirky facial expressions and pretentious body language to bring this spoilt rich boy to life.

In contrast to this rather obvious comedy, John Hope adopts a reserved and mildly fretful attitude as John Worthing, which makes him instantly sympathetic. John’s funny, not because he does anything outrageous, but because he remains so down-to-earth in the face of such silliness from others.

Interestingly, Laine Watson plays quite a cool-headed Lady Bracknell too. Here, she’s more stern than stroppy, using the famous ‘handbag revelation’ to express an elitist’s disdain for John instead of the intense anger that we expect.

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