Of timeless wit and ‘Wilde’ characters
Oscar Wilde was a man who refused to be boxed in- both in his life and his works. His resume spans from sensuous dramas like ‘Salome’ to sharp satires like ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, a novel which shocked Victorian society in “The Picture of Dorian Grey” and casually flung phrases which are made for Facebook .
This July Jith Peiris and the Creative Arts Foundation invite audiences to experience a taste of the mannerisms, wit and timeless characters in what Wilde himself might have remarked as a serious evening of theatre dedicated to “The Importance of Going Wilde”. The production will span over two of the Irish playwright’s plays- His most popular piece “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “An Ideal Husband.” The former is the play that Wilde is quintessentially known for, and is popular for its movie adaptation starring Rupert Everett and for being the most popular Wilde play among school productions.
While “An Ideal Husband” doesn’t share the same amount of fame that Earnest does, it was one of Wilde’s last and most relevant plays at the time. More than a hundred years later, audiences might still find the comedy of manners relevant- from its James Bond like hero to the fierce females and the financial scandal and blackmail (sound familiar?) that provides the background to the plot.
Playing the Earl of Caversham is Hans Billimoria. A character from “the older generation of values,” the Earl is a public servant who sees politics as a noble profession –What Hans loves about the plays is Wilde’s ability to capture the human condition, making his plays so magnificent. Coloured with sharp, beautiful dialogue, Wilde- despite coming from the British upper class, realistically breaks down their absurdity and hypocrisy long before reality TV did. Hans has been acting under Jith’s direction since he was five years old but this will be his first exposure to acting in a Wilde play. “Jith’s choices have always been relevant. They make people think.”
Amaya Wijesinghe and Christina Vancuylenburg play Lady Chiltern and Mrs. Chevely respectively. Wilde’s genius has always been in his exploration of human relationships. The drama within the drama is helped by the two ladies who have their own school-day rivalry which follows them. Wilde’s women always stand out despite the shackles of Victorian society. Smart and unapologetic, Amaya’s Lady Chiltern is one half of the Chiltern power couple. Symbolic of the suffragette movement she is still feminine while being the worshipper of “the ideal husband”.
“We’re all waiting for the knight on a white horse,” Christina laughs rolling her eyes. Channelling Mrs. Chevely, Christina plays that one guest who ruins your perfectly planned dinner party. The opposite of Lady Chiltern, Chevely might just be the Victorian femme fatale- ambitious, beautiful and machiavellian.
Coming to the rescue isn’t the above mentioned knight but Danu Innasithamby playing Lord Goring. Next to wit and conversation Wilde himself was a figure of flamboyance and luxury- personified in the dandies that appear in all his works. When we meet Lord Goring- his style and clever dialogue immediately signal his role in the play.
Jith
Devinda de Silva (20) plays the not so ideal husband- Sir Robert Chiltern. The problem, the young actor explains is that “women put men on a pedestal”. While Sir Robert has more than his share of problems to face in the play, he is one of the play’s less glittery males- simple and humble because of his past, Devinda reflects.
Playing Mabel Chiltern is Mithara Fonseka. Mabel; the younger female maybe one of the more enlightened characters in the play despite not revealing her thoughts as much as the others. Joining her is Phipps, played by Kovindu de Saram. In Phipps we see anther Jeeves. In fact “he follows orders to the letter which actually causes problems,” smiles Kovindu.
Wilde’s main men and leading ladies may have the chunk of his poker face over tea dialogue but like Phipps, none of his characters are unmemorable. In “The Importance of Being Earnest” you can’t help but follow Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble. The unmarried governess figure and country priest with their stuffy, fake stoic personas are natural targets for Wilde’s playful sense of humour. The old bachelor- spinster duo is played by Meth Bandaranaike and Melmari Cruse, who has seen a few Chasubles and Prisms in real life as well. “It’s a hilarious script” explains Meth. For the two younger thespians the chance to perform Wilde for younger audiences like themselves “has a lot of potential,” they add.
Playing the two young ladies caught between the two Earnests are Daniella Perera and Shawnee Algama. Daniella plays Cecily, the younger of the two who captures the heart of Algernon while Shawnee takes on the older sophisticated Gwendolen; John’s counterpart.
In a play where almost everyone is coupled up, one character stands alone; Lady Bracknell. Played by Melanie Bibile, the overbearing, domineering symbol of the upper crust; Lady Bracknell is Gwendolen’s aunt who keeps her from marrying John for all the Victorian reasons. Melanie is not afraid to play the controlling diva- having played the wicked stepmother in her most recent role in the musical ‘Cinderella.’
Dimintha Fonseka’s first introduction to Wilde was in a production of the same play produced by his grandmother who taught speech and drama. Rehearsals for Dimintha remind him of scenes from Downton Abbey- “it’s very different from anything I’ve done,” he remarks, from the poise and style of drawing room theatre to the humour that is typically British. One misconception he hopes will change when people watch the production is that they would realise that beyond the costumes and lingo- “the people of the past weren’t so different after all.”
The Creative Arts Foundation present “The Importance of Going Wilde” directed by Jith Peiris from July 28-29 at the Lionel Wendt Theater. Tickets priced at Rs. 2500, Rs.2000, Rs.1500, Rs.1000 , Rs.600 (balcony) while school and university students will be charged a special rate of Rs. 300 (balcony). Tickets will be available at the Lionel Wendt.
The cast and crew.Pic by M. A. Pushpa Kumara