Search

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Lady Bracknell's Confinement

 
Sascha Cooper Review by Sascha Cooper 5 Published: 13 May 2023 Multiple Venues Show Dates: 12 May 2023-28 May 2023

Lady Bracknell...a force to be reckoned with in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. But what is her real story? This is something that December Hall Actors Theatre and writer, director, and performer Paul Doust explores in such immense detail that Lady Bracknell becomes more than just Algernon Moncreiff's aunt and Gwendolyn's mother. She becomes someone that the majority of people can relate to on more levels as a human being, using the inspiration and magic of Wilde's writing.

Doust intricately pieces the clues together like a detective

The first thing we notice when we first enter the theatre is a simple set of a table clothed table and chair in luxurious velvet turquoise. On the table is the most exquisite bunch of flowers and a sophisticated glass and decanter set. The combination of these props and set create the lavish lifestyle Bracknell is used to, yet keeps everything focused on the one thing she loves to talk about: herself. We also hear in the beginning of the play the last few lines of The Importance of Being Earnest when the titular role realises his importance. However, the mood immediately changes when Doust slowly enters as Bracknell, commanding your attention in silence until she is ready to speak. What then emerges is an extremely powerful exploration of how Bracknell came to be, shared in an extremely candid, frank and hilariously charming way that pays homage to Wilde himself.

Doust intricately pieces the clues together like a detective to discover Bracknell's humble beginnings, all from a specific clue in the original play in which she says quite clearly that she was not wealthy before she got married. So, why not make her a child who was poor yet full of ambition, with parents who didn't pay much attention to her? An extremely poignant line of note here is what Bracknell says after she reveals that she found loneliness freeing: "To show you care is weak!" This is said with such strength and suppressed emotion that you begin to wonder how much her mental health has really been impacted.

Doust then takes us into a world of entertainment when Bracknell finds herself as a stage manager of a local theatre, toying with the idea of acting too, then meeting Lord Bracknell her future husband. Interestingly, the angle she takes before accepting his proposal is that she wants to enjoy the fantasy before the reality hits. This bold choice shows for a brief moment yet again the state of Bracknell's mind over time as it becomes fragile and an escapist of reality which Doust portrays so well, whilst staying true to the original character's observational quick wit.

What Doust does so well in particular is weave an intricate web of deceit, doppelgängers and how she really knows Mr Thomas James Cardew... I however am not going to give this away, as to really get to know Bracknell, you are cordially invited to take tea and cucumber sandwiches as you have the honour of meeting her.

Doust's performance of Bracknell is reminiscent of David Suchet's version from 2015 and is a masterclass in writing, performance and wit. This is definitely to be experienced to be believed.

Related to this article:

Location:

Performances

The Blurb:

One man. Fifty-five minutes. Sensational! “Paul Doust has out-Stopparded Stoppard. The epigrams tumble and sparkle. A constant delight.” (The Pink Paper) “Is there a medium in the house with the powers to communicate the accolade dear Oscar must surely have ready to drop gently on the shoulders of Mr Doust?” (The Stage) “A plot quite as preposterous as ‘The Importance’ itself. Yet it keeps us absorbed through a tale of thwarted love, frustration and heartbreak, unfolded with such restraint and dignity (however odd that word seems) that one eruption of minor violence comes as a shocking jolt. A dash of Alan Bennett perhaps, a soupçon of Firbank; but predominantly an individual and haunting flavour all Doust’s own” (The Times) “It becomes, to borrow from Orton, a Freudian nightmare!” (The Scotsman) “I don’t know what that was – but it was bloody brilliant!!!” (Astounded first-night audience member) “Funny, touching, above all different – GO!” (The Times)