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2014
New Zealand and Australia
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Lesson Ideas
Printable Templates
compiled by Daniel Allan
a musically mad
*
mini-versio
n of the classic!
2
Dear Teacher
This resource is designed by Dan Allan
(actor, director, teacher and playwright of
this show, the adaptation of The Importance
of Being Earnest) to be used by you as you
plan lessons for your class, leading up to or
following our performance at your school.
Please adopt and adapt the suggestions
given however you see fit to meet the needs
of your students.
Rather than giving year levels, we have
opted to label exercises “Junior” and “Senior”
given that Australia and New Zealand have a
different numbering system.
You will surely adapt these resources to suit
your class regardless of the year level we
put on the exercises, but as a guide, Junior
means years 7-10 in New Zealand and years
7-9 in Australia. Senior means years 11-13
in New Zealand (NCEA levels 1-3) and years
10-12 in Australia.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like
to know anything more about the play - we
are here to help you get as much out of the
play as you can! We also value your feedback
on our plays and these resources so please
do get in touch with your comments.
0800 894 500 (NZ) +64 3 974 3499 (Aus)
resources@newzealandplayhouse.co.nz
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3
Contents
English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Exercises to help explore Extended Text
Plot: Plotline Puzzler (Junior/Senior). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Themes: Match the Quotes (Senior) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Character Analysis (Senior). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Important Moment: The Marriage Interview (Senior) . . . . . . . . 13
Drama. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Interview with the Playwright. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Juniors:
Puppet Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Multiple Character Exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Seniors:
Earnest Acting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Defining a Comedy of Manners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
How Does Earnest Fit? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
England, 1894: The Historical Context of Earnest . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Staging the Play: The Proscenium Arch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Technology: Costume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
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4
English
Plot: Plotline Puzzler
The plot of The Importance
of Being Earnest may seem
trivial and unnecessarily
complicated… and it is! This
is quite deliberate. It pays
to remember that Comedy
of Manners plays are poking
fun at a societal group, so
the events in the play don’t
venture outside upper class
English settings, where marriage
was the hot topic. The plot is not
important in a major event sort of
way. There are no political issues
or world events or deaths like we’d
find in other genres. Rather, the plot
allows socially awkward situations and
sparkling dialogue to take up central
importance.
If you are to write convincingly about
the play however, you will still need to
be familiar with the story. Here is the
plot condensed into 14 points.
Task: Number the plot points below
so that they tell the full story.
You may like to work in pencil until
you are sure you’ve got the correct
order! We’ve made it easier by
grouping the plot points into
their correct acts.
Extension: Once you’ve
ordered the plot points, write
the plot in the correct order,
in your own words, so you
can get ownership of it.
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his marriage to Gwendolen,
t, as soon as she consents to
Jack informs Lady Bracknell tha
ell refuses to entertain
ernon. However, Lady Brackn
Alg
rry
ma
to
t
sen
con
his
e
Cecily can hav
all seems lost.
the notion. They go to leave and
n originally christened “Ernest
it is revealed that Jack had bee
Furthermore, from an army list
younger brother—Algernon.
he does have an unprincipled
John.” So, Ernest is his name, and
ee engagements ensue.
est.
ortance of being earn ” Thr
imp
l
vita
“the
ises
real
lly
fina
Jack says he
The End!
where Cecily and Gwendolen
of
g room the Manor House,
Act III takes place in the drawin
en Jack and Algernon tell
Wh
.
enter from the garden
on
ern
Alg
t
and
Jack
.
red
reti
e
hav
nts to be christened Ernest tha
y have both made arrangeme
the
t
tha
ily
Cec
and
olen
end
Gw
afternoon, all is forgiven.
istenings and happens to
to remind them about the chr
Just then, Dr Chasuble arrives
s that Prism be sent for. It is
cknell knows this name and ask
mention Miss Prism. Lady Bra
se years ago. Jack is the son
erness that lost baby Jack all tho
revealed that Prism was the gov
of Lady Bracknell’s sister.
followed Gwendolen from
arrival is announced. She has
At this moment, Lady Bracknell’s
wealthy Cecily is, she
is going on. On finding out how
at
wh
w
kno
to
s
and
dem
London, and
sent for Gwendolen to marry
ng Cecily, but still refuses con
rryi
ma
on
ern
Alg
in
ed
rest
is inte
Jack.
Act III
Use numbers
10-14
Use numbers
5-9
Use numbers
1-4
h having separately
climax of this confrontation, eac
the
ard
tow
ve
arri
on
ern
Alg
Jack and
est later that day. Each of the
Chasuble to be christened Ern
Dr.
with
nts
me
nge
arra
de
ma
, furious, they retire to the
other has been deceived and
young ladies points out that the
house arm in arm.
to marry him. She already
sly in love with Cecily, asks her
eles
hop
n
falle
has
o
wh
on,
Algern
Ernest. Algernon goes off in
d, intoxicated by the name of
considers them to be engage
himself christened Ernest.
l rector, to see about getting
search of Dr. Chasuble, the loca
d
est dying in Paris. He is enrage
urning, with a story about Ern
his
or
e
rad
cha
the
Jack, arrives home in deep mo
with
g
alon
erading as Ernest, but has to go
to find Algernon there, masqu
.
own deception will be revealed
In the beginning of Act II, Alg
ntry estate posing as Jack’s
ernon shows up at Jack’s cou
brother Ernest.
an unexpected visit. She is
te, having decided to pay Jack
est
Gwendolen arrives at Jack’s esta
h engaged to the fictional Ern
it is revealed that they are bot
rs.
nne
hosted initially by Cecily, and
ma
of
rates into a war
Worthing. The tea party degene
Act II
and announces that he
in unexpectedly on Algernon
ps
dro
Jack
I,
Act
of
ing
inn
At the beg
olen.
intends to propose to Gwend
on’s house, which gives Jack an
Lady Bracknell, arrive at Algern
Gwendolen and her mother,
that Gwendolen returns
. Jack is delighted to discover
olen
end
Gw
to
e
pos
pro
to
opportunity
ted on the name Ernest.
his affections, but that she is fixa
ing
a possible son-in-law, and dur
to determine his eligibility as
Jack
ws
She
rvie
d.
inte
pte
ell
ado
ckn
is
Bra
he
t
y
tha
Lad
he reveals
his family background, where
this interview she asks about
endolen.
Gw
and
Jack
n
wee
bet
forbids the match
that Cecily is his ward,
t his name isn’t really Ernest and
Jack confesses to Algernon tha
hout meaning to, Jack
by his adoptive father’s will. Wit
a responsibility imposed on him
ke him even more
ma
catch Algernon’s attention and
describes Cecily in terms that
.
ady
interested in her than he is alre
Act I
Order the plot points correctly.
The Importance of Being Earnest - Plotline Puzzler
5
Plotline puzzler
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4
2
1
Use numbers
5-9
8
5
9
7
6
Use numbers
10-14
12
Lady Bracknell interviews Jack to determine his eligibility as a possible son-in-law, and during
this interview she asks about his family background, where he reveals that he is adopted. She
forbids the match between Jack and Gwendolen.
Jack confesses to Algernon that his name isn’t really Ernest and that Cecily is his ward,
a responsibility imposed on him by his adoptive father’s will. Without meaning to, Jack
describes Cecily in terms that catch Algernon’s attention and make him even more
interested in her than he is already.
At the beginning of Act I, Jack drops in unexpectedly on Algernon and announces that he
intends to propose to Gwendolen.
Act II
Gwendolen arrives at Jack’s estate, having decided to pay Jack an unexpected visit. She is
hosted initially by Cecily, and it is revealed that they are both engaged to the fictional Ernest
Worthing. The tea party degenerates into a war of manners.
In the beginning of Act II, Algernon shows up at Jack’s country estate posing as Jack’s
brother Ernest.
Jack and Algernon arrive toward the climax of this confrontation, each having separately
made arrangements with Dr. Chasuble to be christened Ernest later that day. Each of the
young ladies points out that the other has been deceived and, furious, and they retire to the
house arm in arm.
Algernon, who has fallen hopelessly in love with Cecily, asks her to marry him. She already
considers them to be engaged, intoxicated by the name of Ernest. Algernon goes off in
search of Dr. Chasuble, the local rector, to see about getting himself christened Ernest.
Jack, arrives home in deep mourning, with a story about Ernest dying in Paris. He is enraged
to find Algernon there, masquerading as Ernest, but has to go along with the charade or his
own deception will be revealed.
Act III
Jack informs Lady Bracknell that, as soon as she consents to his marriage to Gwendolen,
Cecily can have his consent to marry Algernon. However, Lady Bracknell refuses to entertain
the notion. They go to leave and all seems lost.
11
13
10
14
3
Gwendolen and her mother, Lady Bracknell, arrive at Algernon’s house, which gives Jack an
opportunity to propose to Gwendolen. Jack is delighted to discover that Gwendolen returns
his affections, but that she is fixated on the name Ernest.
Furthermore, from an army list it is revealed that Jack had been originally christened “Ernest
John.” So, Ernest is his name, and he does have an unprincipled younger brother—Algernon.
Jack says he finally realises “the vital importance of being earnest.” Three engagements ensue.
The End!
Act III takes place in the drawing room of the Manor House, where Cecily and Gwendolen
have retired. Jack and Algernon enter from the garden. When Jack and Algernon tell
Gwendolen and Cecily that they have both made arrangements to be christened Ernest that
afternoon, all is forgiven.
Just then, Dr Chasuble arrives to remind them about the christenings and happens to
mention Miss Prism. Lady Bracknell knows this name and asks that Prism be sent for. It is
revealed that Prism was the governess that lost baby Jack all those years ago. Jack is the son
of Lady Bracknell’s sister.
At this moment, Lady Bracknell’s arrival is announced. She has followed Gwendolen from
London, and demands to know what is going on. On finding out how wealthy Cecily is, she
is interested in Algernon marrying Cecily, but still refuses consent for Gwendolen to marry
Jack.
Use numbers
1-4
Act I
6
Plotline puzzler - Answers
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7
Themes: Match the Quotes
Oscar Wilde was at the height of his fame and powers when he
wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, which was hugely popular.
He touched on truths from his own life in the satire of the play.
Just a few months after the triumph of the play he was in Court on
charges of sodomy. Although he was married, Wilde was having
a homosexual affair at a less enlightened time when this was
deemed illegal. He was leading a double life in the same manner
as his characters. So, you can see why deception, expectation and
reputation were important to Wilde and these themes shine through
very strongly in the play.
If you are to write about themes in The Importance of Being Earnest,
it will make your assertions more convincing to use specific words
from the play.
Task: Here are quotes and events from the play and, on the next
pages, boxes containing themes in the play. Copy the quotes from
this page into the corresponding theme boxes. Some quotes might
belong in more than one category, so write the quote in as many
theme boxes as you think appropriate.
“I have always pretended to have a younger
brother of the name of Ernest, who lives in
the Albany, and gets
into the most dreadful scrapes.” –Jack, Act
1
“Pray don’t talk to me about the weather,
Mr. Worthing. Whenever people talk to me
about the weather, I always
feel quite certain that they mean something
else. And that makes me so nervous.”- Gwen
dolen, Act 1
“I have always been of opinion that a man
who desires to get married should know eithe
r everything or
nothing.”- Lady Bracknell, Act 1
“All women become like their mothers. That
is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.” Algernon, Act 1
“The only way to behave to a woman is to
make love to her, if she is pretty, and to some
one else, if she is plain.”
- Algernon, Act 1
Jack feels the need to invent the existence
of a brother so that he can get away from
his country responsibilities.
“I have invented an invaluable permanent
invalid called Bunbury, in order that I may
be able to go down into
the country whenever I choose.” – Algernon,
Act 1
Cecily fantasises about being engaged to
a ‘bad’ character to escape her life in the coun
try.
Miss Prism lectures about good behaviour
and not getting caught up in fantasy but
actually has a terrible secret
from her early life which involves writing a
novel. She mistook the baby in her care for
a manuscript and left the
baby on a train.
“An engagement should come on a youn
g girl as a surprise, pleasant or unpleasant
as the case may be.” - Lady
Bracknell, Act 1
“I never travel without my diary. One shou
ld always have something sensational to read
in the train.” Gwendolen, Act 2
Algernon takes advantage of his friend to
gain access to his friend’s ward in order to
woo her.
“Gwendolen, it is a terrible thing for a man
to find out suddenly that all his life he has
been speaking nothing
but the truth. Can you forgive me?” - Jack,
Act 3
“Gwendolen - Cecily - it is very painful for
me to be forced to speak the truth. It is the
first time in my life that I
have ever been reduced to such a painful
position....” - Jack, Act 2
“The chin a little higher, dear. Style largely
depends on the way the chin is worn. They
are worn very high, just at
present.” - Lady Bracknell, Act 3
Gwendolen and Cecily join forces to hold
out on the men and gain the power in their
respective relationships.
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THEM
8
Lies and Deceit
The characters in the play spend a good deal of time lying, usually to
get out of the societal pressures they are under and into something
more fun and romantic. There is no remorse shown for the lies, which
satirises what a dishonest place Upper English Victorian society was. In
their fantasies the characters even lie to themselves.
Respect and Reputation
Women had to be seen to be well connected to money, sexually
virtuous, polite and not too creative in their thinking. Men too had
to prove their reputation before being allowed to marry but this was
based on wealth and family history more than their actual behaviour.
The importance of reputation links in with the lies the characters made
to maintain it.
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MES
9
Gender and Marriage
In patriarchal Victorian England, men dominated women, made the
decisions, controlled the money and held the jobs. Wilde though, in
touch with his feminine side, shows the folly of this one-sided society
by showing the foolish decisions of the male characters and presenting
us with a situation where the females are in control.
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Jack Worthing aka Ernest
10
After the cigarette case fiasco, Ernest
reveals that Cecily is his ward. He explains
why he is Jack in the country and Ernest
in the city.
He has a lot of responsibility so he has made a double life to get away from
it.
During an afternoon tea visit, Jack
proposes to Gwendolen.
Character Analysis
The Importance of Being Earnest, much like a Shakespearean
comedy has a few pairs of characters that could easily be confused
for one another. There’s Jack and Algernon who act like brothers and
turn out to be exactly that. It may help to think about Jack as the
sensible older brother, always bossing people and Algernon as the
naughty little brother with less of a moral compass. Then there are
Cecily and Gwendolen, who may appear similar on the surface, but
Gwendolen is a sophisticated city girl and Cecily is country lass…
and mad as a fox! It also may help to remember that the characters
who live in the country; Jack and his ward Cecily; have Cs in their
name.
Gwendolen pairs up with Jack and Cecily ends up with Algernon.
There’s even an unconventional coupling between the minor
characters of Miss Prism and Cannon Chasuble. Lady Bracknell is
the only one who doesn’t have a match, lording over the play like a
widowed lioness.
If you are writing on the characters of The Importance of Being
Earnest it will help you to have a good understanding of their
motivations and backgrounds.
Task: Here is a brief timeline of the play through the eyes of some of
the main characters. Beside each event, write what that event tells us
about that character. There are some examples to help you along the
way.
After being refused by Lady Bracknell,
Jack plans to kill off Ernest.
After killing off Ernest, Jack returns to the
Manor House, dressed in mourning. He
explains that his brother, Ernest, died of a
“severe chill.”
Jack arranges for his ‘brother’ to leave.
He is Algy’s friend but he doesn’t think Algy is good enough to marry Cecily.
Left to themselves after the rejection of
the girls, Jack and Algernon fight over
muffins.
The two men finally enter the house to
find their loves. Jack and Algernon reveal
that they only lied out of love for the girls.
They are immediately forgiven.
Jack eventually reveals Cecily’s
inheritance, much to Lady Bracknell’s
interest.
He doesn’t care much about money but is clever enough to tempt Lady
Bracknell with it.
Jack refuses to give consent for Cecily
to marry Algernon unless Lady Bracknell
allows him to marry Gwendolen.
He is strong willed enough to risk everything for a happy ending for all.
Jack hears Miss Prism’s story, and begins
to suspect that Miss Prism knows where
he comes from. He finds the hand bag in
his chambers.
Jack looks in the Army Lists to find his
true Christian name. He discovers his
name is Ernest.
Jack hugs Gwendolen joyfully, knowing
they can finally be married.
Jack tells Lady Bracknell he has learned
“the vital Importance of Being Earnest.”
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Algernon Moncrieff
Lady Bracknell
Algernon discovers Jack’s secret identity
and reveals Bunbury.
Lady Bracknell expresses her disapproval over Bunbury’s bad
health.
Algernon plays the piano badly and
discusses the merits of wine and marriage
with Lane.
He doesn’t take life too seriously and, by talking candidly to his butler, seems
aware of the unfairness of English society
Algernon eats all of Lady Bracknell’s
cucumber sandwiches, and must make
excuses to his aunt.
Algernon distracts Lady Bracknell with his
music arrangements to give Jack time to
propose to Gwendolen.
Algernon discovers Jack’s country
address.
Algernon goes “Bunburying” as Ernest to
meet Cecily.
Algernon-as-Ernest flirts with Cecily and
gets invited to dinner.
Algernon-as-Ernest sends away the dogcart to flirt more with Cecily.
Algernon-as-Ernest discovers Cecily’s
diary and their engagement.
He leaves to find out about getting
baptised.
Algernon and Jack fight over muffins after
being stood up by the girls.
Algernon lies to Lady Bracknell that
Bunbury has died.
Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen visit Algernon.
Lady Bracknell and Algernon go into the other room to inspect
his music arrangements for her party, leaving Jack-as-Ernest and
Gwendolen alone in the morning room.
He values friends over relations.
Lady Bracknell walks in on Jack proposing to Gwendolen.
Lady Bracknell furiously sends Gwendolen down to the carriage.
Lady Bracknell interviews Jack-as-Ernest, and finds his lack of
parents very disturbing. She pronounces him unfit to court
Gwendolen, unless he can produce his parents by the end of the
season. She dismisses him.
Lady Bracknell arrives at Jack’s Manor House in the country to get
Gwendolen.
Lady Bracknell, once she has heard about Cecily’s inheritance,
suddenly becomes very interested in her and announces her
consent to let her marry Algernon.
Jack undercuts Lady Bracknell by refusing to give his consent
to Cecily unless Lady Bracknell gives him consent to marry
Gwendolen. Lady Bracknell refuses.
Dr. Chasuble enters and Lady Bracknell hears him mention Miss
Prism. She commands Miss Prism to be brought to her.
Lady Bracknell forces Miss Prism into her confession.
Algernon watches gleefully while Aunt
Augusta pronounces Cecily a worthy
bride for him.
Lady Bracknell reveals that Jack is really her nephew and
Algernon’s older brother.
Algernon is introduced to everyone as
Jack’s “unfortunate brother.” (III.154)
Lady Bracknell cannot remember what Jack’s father’s name was –
only that he was a General.
Algernon hugs Cecily joyfully, knowing
they can finally be married.
After Jack discovers his name is really Ernest, Lady Bracknell
accuses him of being trivial.
She rules viciously and gives Gwendolen no
respect to think for herself.
Cecily Cardew (Jack’s ward)
Cecily waters the roses.
She is a sweet girl.
Cecily discovers that Miss Prism wrote a three-volume novel.
Cecily lies that Miss Prism has a headache to get out of doing her
German lesson. As a result, Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble (who are
crushing on each other) go on a walk together.
Cecily meets Ernest who is really Algernon in disguise.
Cecily flirts with Ernest and promises to reform him.
Cecily invites Ernest in for dinner.
Cecily reconciles Uncle Jack with ‘Ernest.’
She loves both men and ideally wants them both
in her life.
Cecily comes back out to water the roses and ends up spending
more quality time with Ernest.
Cecily reveals her and Ernest’s love letters and engagement, which
she has recorded in her diary for the past few months.
Cecily reveals how much she loves the name Ernest.
Cecily meets Gwendolen.
Cecily and Gwendolen insult each other over tea once they’ve
learned that they’re both engaged to Ernest Worthing.
Cecily and Gwendolen retire into the house to fume at the boys.
Cecily and Gwendolen forgive the boys once they learned why
they lied.
Cecily is pronounced a worthy fiancée for Algernon by Lady
Bracknell.
Cecily and Algernon hug joyously, knowing they can finally get
married.
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Important Moment: The Marriage Interview
A turning point in the play comes at the end of Act 1. Jack
has just successfully proposed to Gwendolen when they are
set upon by Lady Bracknell, who interviews Jack in order to
approve the marriage. While Jack and Gwendolen wish to
marry for love, the Victorian etiquette was to gain approval
from the parents before marriage. On finding out that he is
adopted, Lady Bracknell forbids the marriage.
Afterwards, Jack resolves to go straight, bring an end
to his city alter-ego and continue to communicate
with Gwendolen from the country. Algernon, and later
Gwendolen follow him there, both pursuing their romantic
interests. The conflict between young vs old, traditional vs
romantic, is set to play out.
Task: In the box on the right, make notes alongside the
script that show how the dialogue relates to the themes
of respect, deceit and gender in the play.. Some examples
have been done to give you a start. Aim for at least 10
specific notes.
Extension: Write a paragraph that explains how this scene
relates to a major theme (your choice) in the play. Use
specific quotes from the scene to support your answer.
Lady Bracknell [Sitting down.] You can take a seat, Mr.
Worthing.
[Looks in her pocket for note-book and pencil.]
Jack
Thank you, Lady Bracknell, I prefer standing.
Lady Bracknell [Pencil and note-book in hand.] I feel bound
to tell you that you are not down on my list of
eligible young men, although I have the same
list as the dear Duchess of Bolton has. We work
together, in fact. However, I am quite ready to
enter your name, should your answers be what
a really affectionate mother requires. Do you
smoke?
Jack
Jack attempting to
assert some control, selfrespect in the situation.
Relates to Gender and
Respect themes.
Lady B has asserted
control as a
matriarch, formed
alliances to
veto or approve me
n, relates to the
Gender theme, Wilde
has reversed
traditional roles for
effect.
Well, yes, I must admit I smoke.
Lady Bracknell I am glad to hear it. A man should always have
an occupation of some kind. There are far too
many idle men in London as it is. How old are
you?
Jack
Twenty-nine.
Lady Bracknell A very good age to be married at. I have always
been of opinion that a man who desires to
get married should know either everything or
nothing. Which do you know?
Jack
[After some hesitation.] I know nothing, Lady
Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell I am pleased to hear it. I do not approve of
anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch
it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory
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14
of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education
produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it
would prove a serious danger to the upper
classes, and probably lead to acts of violence
in Grosvenor Square. What is your income?
Jack
Between seven and eight thousand a year.
Lady Bracknell [Makes a note in her book.] In land, or in
investments?
Jack
In investments, chiefly.
Lady Bracknell That is satisfactory. What between the duties
expected of one during one’s lifetime, and the
duties exacted from one after one’s death, land
has ceased to be either a profit or a pleasure. It gives one position, and prevents one from
keeping it up. That’s all that can be said about
land.
Jack
I have a country house with some land, of
course, attached to it, about fifteen hundred
acres, I believe; but I don’t depend on that for
my real income. In fact, as far as I can make
out, the poachers are the only people who
make anything out of it.
Lady Bracknell Lady Bloxham? I don’t know her.
Jack
Oh, she goes about very little. She is a lady
considerably advanced in years.
Lady Bracknell Ah, nowadays that is no guarantee of
respectability of character. What number in
Belgrave Square?
Jack
149.
Lady Bracknell [Shaking her head.] The unfashionable side. I
thought there was something. However, that
could easily be altered.
Jack
Do you mean the fashion, or the side?
Lady Bracknell [Sternly.] Both, if necessary, I presume. What
are your politics?
Jack
Well, I am afraid I really have none. I am a
Liberal Unionist.
Lady Bracknell Oh, they count as Tories. They dine with us. Or come in the evening, at any rate. Now to
minor matters. Are your parents living?
Jack
I have lost both my parents.
Lady Bracknell A country house! How many bedrooms? Well, that point can be cleared up afterwards. You have a town house, I hope? A girl with
a simple, unspoiled nature, like Gwendolen,
could hardly be expected to reside in the
country.
Lady Bracknell To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be
regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks
like carelessness. Who was your father? He
was evidently a man of some wealth. Was he
born in what the Radical papers call the purple
of commerce, or did he rise from the ranks of
the aristocracy?
Jack
Jack
Well, I own a house in Belgrave Square, but it
is let by the year to Lady Bloxham. Of course,
I can get it back whenever I like, at six months’
notice.
I am afraid I really don’t know. The fact is, Lady
Bracknell, I said I had lost my parents. It would
be nearer the truth to say that my parents
seem to have lost me . . . I don’t actually know
who I am by birth. I was . . . well, I was found.
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15
Lady Bracknell Found!
Jack
Lady Bracknell Where did the charitable gentleman who had a
first-class ticket for this seaside resort find you?
Jack
[Very seriously.] Yes, Lady Bracknell, I was in a
hand-bag—a somewhat large, black leather handbag, with handles to it—an ordinary hand-bag in
fact.
Lady Bracknell In what locality did this Mr. James, or Thomas,
Cardew come across this ordinary hand-bag?
Jack
In the cloak-room at Victoria Station. It was given
to him in mistake for his own.
Lady Bracknell The cloak-room at Victoria Station?
Jack
Jack
[Gravely.] In a hand-bag.
Lady Bracknell A hand-bag?
Jack
was found, a cloak-room at a railway
station might serve to conceal a social
indiscretion—has probably, indeed, been
used for that purpose before now—but
it could hardly be regarded as an assured
basis for a recognised position in good
society.
The late Mr. Thomas Cardew, an old gentleman of
a very charitable and kindly disposition, found me,
and gave me the name of Worthing, because he
happened to have a first-class ticket for Worthing
in his pocket at the time. Worthing is a place in
Sussex. It is a seaside resort.
Yes. The Brighton line.
Lady Bracknell The line is immaterial. Mr. Worthing, I confess I feel
somewhat bewildered by what you have just told
me. To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand-bag,
whether it had handles or not, seems to me to
display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of
family life that reminds one of the worst excesses
of the French Revolution. And I presume you
know what that unfortunate movement led to? As
for the particular locality in which the hand-bag
May I ask you then what you would
advise me to do? I need hardly say I
would do anything in the world to ensure
Gwendolen’s happiness.
Lady Bracknell I would strongly advise you, Mr. Worthing,
to try and acquire some relations as soon
as possible, and to make a definite effort
to produce at any rate one parent, of
either sex, before the season is quite over.
Jack
Well, I don’t see how I could possibly
manage to do that. I can produce the
hand-bag at any moment. It is in my
dressing-room at home. I really think that
should satisfy you, Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell Me, sir! What has it to do with me? You can hardly imagine that I and Lord
Bracknell would dream of allowing our
only daughter—a girl brought up with
the utmost care—to marry into a cloakroom, and form an alliance with a parcel? Good morning, Mr. Worthing!
[Lady Bracknell sweeps out in majestic indignation.]
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16
Drama
Interview with the with actor, director and writer Dan Allan, who adapted The
Importance of Being Earnest for NZ Playhouse
INTER
How did you come to be adapting
The Importance of Being Earnest?
I am the co-director of Body in Space, a
theatre company in Nelson, NZ, and every
year we do a big outdoor summer theatre
show for a donation. We started by doing
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
(Abridged) and that proved a very popular
formula of small cast whacky comedies with
multiple roles, which we have continued. In
2012, the third year of the annual event, we
staged a four player version of Earnest.
That same year I did some acting and
directing work with NZ Playhouse and when
the next year rolled around I submitted
a proposal to adapt our adaption even
further, for three players as the secondary
touring show. It was accepted and I went to
work on the script.
Why did you think it was necessary to
tamper with a classic? It’s one of the
most popular plays of all time. Isn’t it
heresy to change it?
Yeah, it is a bit cheeky but I think Oscar
Wilde would have supported our decisions,
if he was around today. Why change it
at all? Well, we had Earnest in mind as a
potentially popular choice and it’s also out
of copyright, which is, frankly, a huge bonus
when you’re doing shows on a tight budget
for the community. But my only memory of
the play was yawning through an amateur
production of it in my twenties. I felt back
then that, even though there were some
good bits, it was too long and talky for
modern tastes. Reading the script through
again confirmed that for us, so we knew we
wanted to cut it down to under two hours
for starters.
Then, we already had these very popular
comedy traditions established in our
summer shows. We always did a rap song,
there was always cross dressing, modern
references and so on. We felt the audience
would be disappointed if we didn’t do those
traditions. So my wife and co-director Lisa
and I spent a great deal of our December
chopping out bits of the script, adapting it
for four, writing a rap and a couple of other
songs and hoping like heck that it wasn’t
going to be too dry. We were also quite
scared that there would be some sort of
Oscar Wilde enthusiast writing damning
letters to the editor.
We needn’t have worried though.
Rehearsals were hilarious and we found all
sorts of laughs to add in. The season went
down as the crowds favourite Summer
show to that date. I think in large part it’s
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17
RVIEW
because of the great source material. Wilde’s
lines are still very funny. But I am proud of
the adaption. I think it adds comedy and
I’m glad we gave it a go. The reviewer for
the Nelson season said that she could hear
Wilde’s ghost laughing in the pines. And
when we did a season in Hamilton, the
reviewer was hugely positive and wrote
along the lines that our choices served to
enhance Wilde’s satire. I’m really proud of
that because it’s giving Wilde new life for
new audiences.
What were the challenges of
adapting The Importance of Being
Earnest for a young audience in the
21st century?
Well, a very unromantic factor is the
practical considerations of a schools show. It
needs to fit inside a timetabled school hour
and also be ready to travel, packed in and
out and performed up to three times a day.
That meant cutting our original adaptation
in half, and we had already cut 30% of
it for the first adaptation! It’s a very time
consuming job to take 50% of the words
out of a script but retain the highlights of
wittiness and the meaning of the characters
and scenes. Hopefully I’ve managed that.
But that time limitation is also a blessing
because we’ll go right to the heart of
the piece and every scene will be crucial
and memorable. I think teenagers are
increasingly visual and process information
very quickly, so this version should bring the
story across to them really well.
In terms of young people’s tastes, I don’t
think there’s a need to talk down to them
too much. Teenagers are developing adult
tastes. There’s a few modern references
thrown in there to make sure people are still
listening! It’s funny, actually, what parallels
there are with modern times in the script.
The way Cecily talks about her diary it may
as well be social media posts.
People haven’t really changed since 1895,
it’s just our technology has. While young
NZ and Australians might not relate much
to the Victorian marriage stuff, the theme
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18
of false appearances and dual identities
is hugely relevant today. Jack and Algy
go about creating false lives which get
them into trouble. These days we do that
online. There are avatars and fake identities
available to us. People can disappear
into fantasy and have a dual identity- a
Bunbury! Even with something as common
as Facebook, you are presenting just one
version of your life.
What is your favourite part of the
play and why?
DAN A
I also believe that the best jokes are the
ones that are funny for the whole room, no
matter what age they are, which is why I like
to use a lot of visual comedy, because that’s
universal.
I enjoy the ‘interrogation’ of Jack by Lady
Bracknell. It’s a very famous piece of
dialogue which I first stumbled across in
a collection of script extracts long before
I had even seen the play. I think it actually
gets funnier the more you read and hear it.
It’s hard to take all the wit in when you just
watch it once. The corruption of power in
that scene is very funny to me. It reminds
me how ridiculous life is when a woman
who holds such flawed and socially unjust
opinions can make or break a young man’s
intentions.
I also have a soft spot for the meeting of
Gwendolen and Cecily. There are some great
examples of saying one thing and meaning
another in that scene. Classic comedy of
manners stuff. Cecily is quite barmy. She’s a
wonderfully observed character who says
some quite insane things but remains on
just the right side of believable.
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What qualities does an actor need for
this kind of show?
Finally, what are the most important
‘technologies’ in the play? And
can you share with us a couple of
examples of ‘effective use’ of the
technologies.
more characters to be embodied. They also
create more visual comedy which should
compliment the very wordy dialogue
and bring attention to the mouth and
what is being said. Good puppeteers
will use direction and stillness (among
the movement) to bring focus to certain
important moments. So, effective use of
the puppets will involve focussing the
audience’s attention to detail. The opposite
of that is what we call ‘split focus,’ where
the audience doesn’t know where to look
because there’s too much happening on
stage.
ALLAN
Energy! There are huge demands on the
actors, so they need to be match fit and
enthusiastic to perform at that high level up
to three times a day (with travel in between).
I think also the actors need to keep in
mind that they are sending up the English
aristocracy, so strong voice work is key and
that sense of play and silliness that being
‘terribly English’ can engender.
Also, because the show is complicated with
lots of factors like puppetry and exits and
entrances and changes of character, I think
it is key for the actors to be in the moment,
be open to errors and deviations in each
performance and have fun with their crowd,
knowing every live performance will be
different.
Well, the costuming in the play really brings
across the time and place that students will
be studying. Oscar Wilde was a lover of fine
things, he lived in that world of luxurious
coats and jewels and bow-ties and formality
at every chance. I haven’t seen the costumes
yet but I hope that Algernon and Jack
contrast in what they wear. Jack should be
in more conservative formal attire, whereas
Algy, who’s very flippant and fancy-free
should have more colourful and daring suits
to show his attitude toward life. I think Algy
is the character who is most ‘the voice’ of the
playwright.
And the puppetry will be an important
technology. Because of the reduced cast
size, the puppets were included to allow
I think it’s important for students to note
that puppets are definitely not a technology
that was used in the Comedy of Manners
genre. They are our own addition (a bit of a
genre mash-up) and I hope they are enjoyed
as a feature in their own right, separate to
what Comedy of Manners plays were like
when they first appeared.
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20
Having a go at Puppetry
The performance of The Importance of Being Earnest
involved puppets which served to heighten the comedy
and allowed the small cast to bring across a variety of
different characters.
Found Object Puppetry
“A puppet is an inanimate object that is
manipulated so as to appear animate.” The following exercise is adapted from
www.childdrama.com
Task: Create a puppet from a found object.
You Will Need
• A collection of everyday items.
• It would be helpful, but not necessary to have some
traditional puppets for show.
Discussion
I usually begin the discussion by mentioning some things
everyone knows are puppets--the Muppets, “Lamb Chop,”
etc. I bring out some of my own puppets (I am an avid
puppet maker and collector) and show them in action. I usually allow the students to handle some of the less
fragile puppets themselves. So far we’re all in agreement
about what is a puppet.
But then I put the puppets away and bring out a
collection of everyday items--for example, a pair of
sunglasses, a small square cardboard box, a paper-punch,
a shoe, a ruler. I lay these items in front of the students
and say, “Are these puppets?”
Of course at first the children all say, “no,” and laugh at the
question. But then I pick up one of the items--say, the
sunglasses--and begin to manipulate it so it becomes a
character.
Note: If you have not been a puppeteer it is a good idea
to practice this ahead of time, and to deliberately select
objects you know you can manipulte successfully. This
is a very individual thing, but I’ll give you some hints. Sunglasses, with their bows spread wide, become a very
convincing ant’s head, complete with reflective eyes and
two antennae, if the manipulator is skilled enough. A
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21
shoe has a tongue and can talk, or it can use its laces like
tentacles. The paper-punch can obviously become a
baracuda. If it has a hinged lid, a cardboard box becomes
a big-mouthed character with a ferocious appetite. (Mine
is named “Stocky,” because he used to contain a stock pot,
and his schtick is box-related humor: “Hey, Stocky--what’s
your favorite food?” “Box lunch.” “Who’s your favorite
actor?” “Bruce Boxleitner.”) A ruler behind a notebook
becomes a shy character who keeps peeking out and
darting back out of sight. Making Our Own Puppets
Once the concept of creating puppet characters from
everyday objects has been explored, I challenge each
student to find an object and create a puppet from it. I
discourage them from altering the objects in any way. (It is not necessary to paint eyes on a chair to make a
character of it.) Depending on the age of the students
and on the timing, I will either have them use objects
they can find in my room, or I’ll assign the project as
“homework.”
Manipulating the Puppets
I suggest that they allow the nature of the chosen object
to help them determine the personality of the puppet. (Which is lazier--an old bedroom slipper or a high-heeled
shoe? How is the attitude of a pair of pliers different from
the attitude of an oven mitt?)
Allow some time for students to develop the character
(Prompt them to explore the puppet’s voice, movement
of the mouth, movement of the body, attittude to
surroundings, relationship with the puppeteer.)
Students can then present a short scene where they will
introduce their puppet character to the class, talking as
both themselves and their puppet.
Extension: Dialogue extracts.
Students receive a short script extract with two
characters, perhaps something from The Importance
of Being Earnest, and present the scene with the more
flamboyant of the characters played by their puppet. For
example, the actor plays Jack and the puppet plays Lady
Bracknell in the marriage interview scene.
It may also be possible to have two object puppet
characters in the same scene. For example, the actors
can play Jack and Algernon and their puppets could
play Cecily and Gwendolen discovering their deceit over
pretending to be called Ernest.
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22
Multiple Role Improvisation Exercises
The actors of The Importance of Being Earnest (A
Musically Mad Mini-Version), use a mixture of physicality,
costume pieces, and puppets to change characters and
present a period story with lots of characters, all played
out by only three actors. The ability to quickly transform
is a key asset for an actor, whether working in children’s
theatre, improvisation, sketch comedy or modern plays
and films that have been deliberately written to test the
actor in this enjoyable way.
Tasks: Try out the improvisation games and exercises
that follow over the next few pages. They have been
placed in a rough order of difficulty.
Learning Outcome of these Exercises:
• Students learn to switch characterisations quickly.
• Through making choices spontaneously, they
experience body, voice, movement and use of space
choices they might not normally choose, thereby
broadening their range of characterisations.
• Due to the fast cycling of scenes, the students are
allowed to experiment with multiple uses of B,V,M,S in
a non-judging environment.
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23
Freeze Tag
(j
unior/senior)
• Anywhere
between tw
o and fifteen
form a line a
students
t the back of
the stage.
• Two actors
, Down Stag
e, start an im
scene.
provised
• At any poin
t in time the
player at the
the line (or th
top end of
e teacher) ca
lls freeze.
• The player
at the top of
the line then
one of the tw
tags out
o actors, and
takes their p
copying the
lace,
ir physicality
exactly.
• Both playe
rs then start
a new scene
their position
, justifying
s as new cha
racters.
• The player
tagge
line, which sh d out goes to the end of
the
uffles up one
place.
• For purpose
s of concentr
ating on cha
teacher shou
racter, the
ld prompt th
e student to
their characte
make
r completely
different to th
previous sce
e
ne. Students
should be pro
to fully justif
mpted
y the new co
ntext, letting
shape inform
the frozen
their characte
r choice.
e last person and
as best they can th
eir target’s position.
nior/senior)
cross the circle to th
Funny People (ju
a
everyone has had
er
th
ei
til
,
on
so
d
• Stand in a circle.
• An
e delivery
uple of turns, or th
a line
co
g
a
tin
or
ra
,
st
rn
on
tu
m
de
point of
• Teacher starts by
d a suitably absurd
pression,
he
ex
ac
of
re
r
s
ne
ha
an
m
a
d
of dialogue an
delivery.
es to deliver it.
with simple gestur
e
th
is
at
th
,
trying
not to be
ould be placed on
sh
is
as
Examples: To be or
ph
Em
•
nd
le, without
ldly with one ha
accurate as possib
as
question (stated bo
be
to
e
Th
or
r)
ai
inese
nd in the
Nevertheless, a Ch
n.
tio
ra
ge
on chin and one ha
ag
ex
d
probably
edy, is timing (sai
s style pattern will
er
sp
secret of great com
hi
W
e
Th
.
d)
of the
up at the en
sterical renditions
hy
til
un
,
ge
with a big thumbs
er
em
e
out.
it is, starting with th
e are being carried
lin
al
in
person whose turn
ig
or
d
an
ross the circle
teacher, will look ac
ing game. It
.
This is a very polaris
ith another person
w
e:
t
ot
ac
N
nt
•
co
e
ey
yable
e
mak
iddle of the
successful and enjo
m
ly
e
ge
th
hu
to
r
be
te
n
en
ca
en
rs might
They will th
e and gesture to
groups, while othe
e
lin
r
m
ei
so
th
ith
er
w
liv
de
d
is
circle an
d with.
A big factor in this
te
it.
ec
ke
nn
sli
di
co
tly
ve
an
ha
st
ey
in
of the
that person th
d confidence levels
an
t
us
tr
e
th
e
d with
have delivered th
must be emphasise
It
p.
• The person they
ou
gr
m
fro
y,
el
e not
e them clos
groups that you ar
nt
de
nfi
co
line to must observ
ss
le
served,
voice, to posture,
fun’ of the person ob
g
in
pitch and quality of
ak
.
‘m
ng
hi
yt
er
hs, laughs; ev
lop your powers of
mannerisms, coug
but trying to deve
cy.
n and acting accura
make
io
to
at
rv
rn
se
tu
’s
ob
er
rv
se
• Then it is the ob
ne else across the
contact with someo
their line, mimicking
circle, enter, deliver
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www.newzealandplayhouse.co
24
Tag-Out Sc
e
ne (junior/se
nior)
• You can pla
y this game
in a circle, or
of players on
with teams
either side o
f the stage w
scene centre
ith the
stage.
• An action d
riven scene st
arts in the ce
on-going.
ntre and is
• When a pla
yer has an id
ea on how to
the scene, th
adva
ey can tag o
ne of the acto nce
take on their
rs and
character.
• If a scene re
quires more
characters to
players may
join,
step in and a
dd to the nu
the scene, b
m
ber in
ut there sho
uld be no m
four in the sc
ore than
ene at any g
iven time.
• The empha
sis should be
placed on be
through voic
ing true,
e and physic
al mimicking
character th
to the
e actor has ta
gged in to b
played chara
e
.
Broadly
cters will be
easier to pick
carry on, so it
up and
should be en
couraged fro
start to play
m the
‘big’ with the
characters.
• Scenes can
go on for 5-1
0 minutes as
advancing is
long
happening a
nd players are as
committing
still
to the establi
shed qualitie
characters, it
s of the
is not as imp
ortant to con
on story-tellin
centrate
g. Once the
story is estab
escalate the
lished,
frequency w
ith which th
tag in as it g
e players
oes along, m
aking sure e
has a turn.
veryone
at
people
o
w
T
.
e
c
dien
ectly
g the au
t ( junio
ople dir n of
f
in
e
c
e
p
a
L
f
o
h
e
r
c
w
a
t
t
Swi
atio
and
a squ
udience the first combin uch as
stand in
a
s
r
e
o
h
t
t
c
h
a
ne, s
t are
n wit
• Four
heir sce
quare o
the fron
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s
t
r
,
t
a
fo
n
le
o
e
r
p
f
c
o
the
e pe
udien
them. Th idea from the a ip.
d
in
h
e
b
get an
e square
lationsh
y
h
e
t
r
e
f
h
d
t
o
n
,
s
a
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r
”
p
t
acto
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r a ty
,
ys “switc ho was at front
pation, o
a
s
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c
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c
e
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o
la
n
a
em
yer w
ther p
r or ano tage left, the pla o was behind th rs
e
h
c
a
e
t
he
of s
r wh
playe
• Then t
direction e left. The playe ombination of
e
h
t
in
tag
wc
rotates
now at s ont, etc. This ne
is
t
h
ig
r
r
the f
stage
as
them at scene.
e front h
s
h
t
in
t
jo
a
’
n
w
no
atio
their
‘combin
idea for
h
c
n
a
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r
d time a
ir
h
t
a
conds fo
e
t
f
s
le
0
3
h
c
0
the
of 2
• Swit
sessions have advanced
starter.
in
e
t
n
u
e
o
c
s
s
a
yers
ene
their
these sc ft’ when the pla raged to make
g
in
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la
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p
e
tart
is clear t
witch L
e encou
b
‘S
it
t
g
ld
a
• Now s
in
u
h
ll
t
o
a
h
o
er s
ne, c
g
ers s
each sce ciently. The play t from each oth o. When learnin of
t
n
e
ffi
k
re
scene su broad and diffe have come bac stay on their sid h.’
c
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s
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the ‘sw
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ld b
ien
the aud the actors shou to avoid confus ular combinatio hip
,
,
e
ic
ns
e
t
the gam during the scen nd turn of a par ed in the relatio he
,t
re
co
ass
the squa eturn for the se that time has p ch combination s.
r
a
e
w
rie
e
hree sto
When w y choose to sho r 3-4 turns with
t
ll
a
o
t
a
ion
fte
players m e characters. A o find a conclus
h
t
t
n
ted
betwee
e promp
b
ld
u
o
h
actors s
)
r/senior
.nz
www.newzealandplayhouse.co
25
Stuck in the Middle (senior)
• This is a more advanced extens
ion of Freeze Tag, above, and pla
ces
more emphasis on one individual
who must keep switching
characters.
• Two teams of students line up
at SR and SL of stage, with one
student who is ‘in’ at centre stage.
• The student at the front of the
line at SL enters with the player
who is in and gives them a broad
offer to endow them with a
character, for example, “Doctor, my
leg needs re-bandaging.” The
scene is allowed to play out for a
while and just as the actor is really
committing to the character, ‘fre
eze’ is called and the first player
from the SR line enters and tags
out the SL player, always leaving
the player who is ‘in’ on stage.
• Unlike Freeze Tag, the players fro
m the sides are allowed to genera
te
their own ideas for offers, without
having to incorporate the
previous physicality. The players
should be asked to think of offering
a variation to what has come bef
ore to challenge the actor ‘stuck
in
the middle’ to take on a wide var
iety of characters. The left to righ
t
structure should ensure the flow
of new scene ideas come thick and
fast. The person in the middle sho
uld be encouraged to experiment
with B,V,M,S. Duration of turns in
the middle is up to discretion of
teacher but it should last until the
actors ‘fall-back’ options have
been exhausted and they are exp
erimenting with new voices,
statuses, postures etc.
r (advanced, senior)
Solo Character Generato
stage.
• One brave improviser on
audience
u could be addressing the
Yo
.
elf
urs
yo
by
ne
sce
a
rt
• Sta
ply miming
aginary scene partner, or sim
directly, or talking to an im
g voice,
r strong traits; manipulatin
cte
ara
ch
ur
yo
e
Giv
.
ng
thi
some
morable
e etc to paint a bold and me
posture, gestures, speed, ton
character.
d the
cher will clap their hands an
tea
the
,
so
or
ds
on
sec
20
• After
gly rendered
e a new character, as stron
ly
actor will immediately assum
mpted, if necessary, to quick
pro
be
ld
ou
sh
tor
ac
e
Th
t.
as the firs
. They should
from what they do and say
etc
tus
sta
g,
tin
set
lish
ab
est
as if it
should advance the scene
ey
Th
r.
cte
ara
ch
the
to
ly
commit ful
could go on indefinitely.
tor switches
or so, teacher claps again. Ac
ds
on
sec
20
er
oth
an
er
Aft
•
character. And so on.
allenge the
r can be manipulated to ch
cte
ara
ch
ch
ea
of
ion
rat
du
• The
ntify a voice
student well, they might ide
actor. If a teacher knows a
on
ack’ and quickly move them
ll-b
‘fa
a
as
es
us
nt
de
stu
or trait the
e duration on
after only three seconds. Th
ps
rha
pe
e,
oic
ch
t
tha
m
in
fro
judged with student ability
be
to
s
ed
ne
o
als
tor
ac
ch
stage for ea
mind.
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26
Earnest Acting Elements
Having just watched the professional
performance of The Importance
of Being Earnest: A Musically Mad
Mini-Version it is important to reflect
on what the actors did with the
acting elements to bring across the
characters and story.
Task: For each of the acting elements
below, write three specific examples
of how the actors used this for effect
in one of the moments in the show.
Cite the name of the Character, how
the element was used and its effect
on the audience.
Examples have been given for each
element to start you off.
Body
- Cecily, sat very upright in her chair. This showed that she
was brought up in a very disciplined environment way
and was young and fit.
-
-
Movement
- Algernon, moved slowly around the space. This showed
that he was never too concerned, playing life as a game.
-
Voice
- Lady Bracknell, puppet character. Spoke very loudly
to Jack when interviewing him. This made us feel
intimidated by Lady Bracknell and sorry for Jack. She has
no concern for how others felt, high status.
-
-
Space
- Cecily and Gwendolen, sat very close together at the
outdoor table in Act two. This made it seem like they
were going to be friends but made it very awkward
when they got jealous of each other, they started to face
away from each other more.
-
-
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27
Defining a Comedy of Manners
Below are two very ‘wordy’ definitions
for a Comedy of Manners:
‘The comedy of manners is an
rizes the
entertainment form which sati
cial
a so
of
s
ion
manners and affectat
n
ofte
ses,
clas
le
ltip
class or of mu
ock
represented by stereotypical st
es
mil
the
characters. For example,
ient
anc
in
)
ier”
sold
ul
gloriosus (“boastf
ring
e du
rak
the
and
fop
times, the
old person
the English Restoration, or an
tion
tora
Res
ng. you
pretending to be
“comedy
for
m
ony
syn
a
as
d
use
comedy is
edy,
com
of manners”.[1] The plot of the
erally
gen
is
dal,
scan
often concerned with
e.
ogu
dial
y
witt
its
n
tha
nt
less importa
manners
A great writer of comedies of
ous play
fam
st
was Oscar Wilde, his mo
Earnest.’
g
Bein
of
nce
orta
being The Imp
-Wikipedia
Task: It is important to understand the key words
associated with comedy of manners. Using a
dictionary or the internet, find definitions for the
following words:
Satire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Affectation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
‘Comedy of Manners: wit
ty, cerebral form of
dramatic comedy that dep
icts and often satirizes the
manners and affectation
s of a contemporary soc
iety.
A comedy of manners is
concerned with social usa
ge
and the question of wheth
er or not characters meet
certain social standards.
Often the governing soc
ial
standard is morally trivial
but exacting. The plot of
such a comedy, usually con
cerned with an illicit love
affair or similarly scandalo
us matter, is subordinate
to the play’s brittle atmosp
here, witty dialogue, and
pungent commentary on
human foibles.
…
The tradition of elaborate
, artificial plotting
and epigrammatic dialog
ue was carried on by
the Anglo-Irish playwrigh
t Oscar Wilde in Lady
Windermere’s Fan (1892)
and The Importance of
Being Earnest (1895).’
- Encyclopedia Brittanica
Stock character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trivial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cerebral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exacting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Epigrammatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Illicit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pungent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Foibles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Extension: In your own words, rewrite the
definition of comedy of manners as you now
understand it. Keep it to three sentences.
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28
Artificial/Compicated Plotline
-
How Does Earnest Fit?
From the definitions of Comedy of Manners we
can boil the characteristics down to three main
factors:
• Artifical/complicated plotlines designed to
put the characters under social pressure
• Stock characters, recognisable to the
audience and serving a function
• Witty/epigrammatic dialogue
Task: Now that you have viewed a (highly
edited) version of the play, make some notes
about how your experience of The Importance
of Being Earnest matched up to this definition.
Use specific examples from your memory of
what was said and done by the characters.
An example has been given in each category to
get you started.
Aim for 5 specific examples in each category.
- Miss Prism is Cecily’s governess and ‘just happens’ to be the person responsible for losing Jack as a baby. It seems highly unlikely that
she had never worked out this connection with her employer until Lady Bracknell points it out in the climax of the play.
-
Stock Characters
- Cannon Chasuble is a religious figure who is actually a romantic and uses dodgy metaphors.
-
Witty Dialogue
-
- “To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.” - Lady Bracknell
-
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29
England, 1894: The Historical Context of Earnest
Read the following background information on the play, extracted and edited down from www.cliffsnotes.com then answer
the questions on the following page.
ened in the West End
The Importance of Being Earnest op
era when many of
an
g
durin
1894
ary
Febru
in
on
Lond
of
structures were
omic
econ
and
ical,
polit
l,
the religious, socia
last 25-30 years
(the
Age
rian
experiencing change — The Victo
t and occupied
heigh
its
at
was
ire
Emp
h
Britis
The
s).
of the 1800
eland. The
hom
’s
Wilde
d,
Irelan
ding
much of the globe, inclu
bish and rich — far
snob
,
inant
dom
was
cracy
aristo
sh
Engli
and poor.
removed from the British middle class
sophers and playwrights
Many novelists, essayists, poets, philo
l problems, particularly
socia
t
abou
e
of the Victorian Age wrot
Revolution and political
strial
Indu
the
of
ts
effec
the
g
ernin
conc
on the poor, Darwin
ted
entra
conc
ns
Dicke
and social reform.
the survival of the fittest,
g
ribin
wrote his theory of evolution desc
ralist Theory of man
Natu
the
t
abou
e
wrot
y
Hard
as
and Thom
ge, their work, as well
chan
of
age
an
In
stuck in the throes of fate.
about the artificial
think
to
as Wilde’s plays, encouraged people
eged life for the
privil
a
led
enab
and
ty
socie
ed
barriers that defin
.
class
ing
rich at the expense of the work
of the time provided many
The white, Anglo-Saxon, male society
attitudes that playwrights
targets of complacency and aristocratic
k.
attac
such as Wilde could
e of Being Earnest address
Although the themes in The Importanc
play was largely
the
of
ture
struc
Victorian social issues, the
a, social drama, and
dram
melo
re,
theat
h
Frenc
by
nced
influe
genres, and borrowed
farce. Wilde was quite familiar with these
E.M. Robson, The
and
cq
from them freely. A play by W. Lesto
rnest, and it was
of Ea
e
sourc
a
be
to
ght
thou
, is
Foundling
was writing Earnest. The
playing in London at the time Wilde
Worthing in Wilde’s play.
Jack
like
ero,
an-h
orph
an
has
dling
Foun
gerated physical action,
A farce is a humorous play using exag
ility. It often contains
obab
impr
and
rdity,
absu
tick,
such as slaps
The ending
sed.
disclo
is
ed
pect
surprises where the unex
Prism as his unmarried
of Earnest, in which Jack misidentifies
s. Farces were usually
mother, is typical of the endings of farce
ges of identity, stock
chan
ded
inclu
often
and
acts
done in three
other. Wearing
each
ing
stand
characters, and lovers misunder
at times of stress are
n
dow
food
ling
gobb
or
es
cloth
mourning
farces.
conventions that can be traced to early
also strongly influenced
Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen
e, which had
Hous
Doll’s
Wilde. Ibsen’s innovations in A
Wilde. Wilde also
to
n
know
were
,
1889
in
on
Lond
in
played
r plays by Ibsen.
othe
wo
osts,t
d Gh
er an
attended Hedda Gabl
plays.
Ibsen
of
s
While in prison, Wilde requested copie
s where Earnest opened,
The theatre manager of the St. Jame
ce his original fourredu
to
Wilde
asked
,
nder
Alexa
George
nal farces. Wilde
entio
conv
more
like
act play to three acts,
by episode and
accomplished this by omitting the Gribs
so, he maneuvered his
merging two acts into one. In doing
ry response.
litera
play for greater commercial and
when he was
Earnest came at a time in Wilde’s life
family and mother,
his
g
ortin
supp
of
ure
press
the
g
feelin
affairs —
ual
osex
hom
cing
balan
ly
and precarious
he Importance of Being
especially with Lord Alfred Douglas. T
’s St. James Theatre on
Earnest opened at George Alexander
ing, to honour Wilde’s
even
cular
parti
this
February 14, 1895. On
and the young men
ges,
aestheticism, the women wore lily corsa
elf, an outside
hims
Wilde
s.
lapel
their
in
y
valle
wore lilies of the
was festooned
on,
fashi
nt
elega
of
observer by birth in the world
that he wore a
rted
repo
ly
wide
was
It
t.
outfi
ring
in a glitte
waistcoat, a black moiré
coat with a black velvet collar, a white
s, a green scarab ring,
glove
ribbon watch chain with seals, white
Irish outsider, was
the
,
Wilde
.
lapel
his
in
y
valle
and lilies of the
who loved his wit
on,
Lond
s
r-clas
dramatically accepted by uppe
selves.
them
t
abou
ing
laugh
when
even
g,
and darin
The
aristocracy
attending Wilde’s play
of
knew and understood the private lives
were aware of the
characters like Jack and Algernon. They
End. It had clubs, hotels,
culture and atmosphere of the West
of the 50 theatres in London.
cafes, restaurants, casinos, and most
ct filled with brothels that
distri
ight
The West End was also a red-l
virtual garden of delights,
a
was
It
ure.
pleas
any
ide
prov
could
need for married men to
and the patrons could understand the
could frolic in this world.
they
invent Ernests and Bunburys so that
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www.newzealandplayhouse.co
30
England, 1894: The Historical Context of Earnest
Task: Answer the following questions to test your knowledge of Wilde’s reasons for writing The Importance of Being Earnest. Most
answers can be found in the article, others may require a little more digging!
1. What were writers of Victorian England increasingly drawing people’s attention to?
2. How did the private lives of London aristocracy influence the play?
3. How did Wilde’s own life influence the content of the play?
4. What were his main literary influences?
Extension questions
Oscar Wilde is described as an ‘aesthetic’ in the article…
5. What is this?
6. Did it influence the content of the play?
7. Which character in the play is most like Wilde himself and what makes you think so?
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31
Staging the Play: The Proscenium Arch
Originally, productions of The Importance of
Being Earnest would have been held in traditional
proscenium arch theatres, which allow the play to be
viewed in a box, as if the audience is watching through
the “Fourth Wall.” This tradition continues today as
proscenium theatres are still popular (your school hall
may have one) but increasingly theatre stages are
moving out of the box and onto thrust or open stages.
In a sense, the proscenium arch theatre predicted
televisions, as it focuses the audience’s attention into
a rectangle and allows us to see the action as if it
were a slice of life. It allows things to be hidden easily
from the audiences sight, simply by travelling off
to the sides of the stage and onto the wings, actors
or objects will disappear and can re-appear from a
different place as if they are in a new location. The
curtain allows for concealing set changes between
acts and beginning and ending the play.
Scenery can either be hung from the fly floor in the
form of a back-drop or sit on the stage behind the
actors who will perform most of the action near the
front of the stage, trying to project their voices past
the proscenium arch and into the auditorium.
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www.newzealandplayhouse.co
32
Staging the Play: The Proscenium Arch
Imagine you are watching a traditional version of the play in a proscenium arch theatre.
Task: List 3 ways that this stage type would enhance the performance of the Comedy of Manners style play. You should think
about the Comedy of Manners characteristics in your answers. A couple of examples are done for you.
Ways in which Earnest would be suited to a proscenium arch
style performance:
• The witty dialogue would be brought forward and given maximum importance.
• The opulent surroundings of the country estate could be flown in from the fly towers between acts.
•
•
•
•
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33
Technology: Costume
Costume is an important way that a production establishes information about a character. In the comedy of manners, The
Importance of Being Earnest, where a lot is said but very little ‘action’ takes place, the costume becomes even more important
as a visual stimulus. The playwright Oscar Wilde, himself a flamboyant dresser, would have ensured the cast was attired in
the most stunning London fashions of the time. Jack’s character would be dressed in an expensive formal, conservative suit,
befitting his wealth and responsibility, whereas Algernon’s costume would probably be more colourful and daring. Cecily’s dress
would have a cheery country style, whereas city-girl Gwendolen’s would be more sophisticated to contrast those characters’
ages and living locations.
Task: Using one of the templates on the next pages, draw the costume of one of the characters from the play.
Make specific notes about how the costume is typical of the drama form of Comedy of Manners. eg Algernon’s bowtie is
the sort found in Victorian aristocratic society, it’s floppiness and bright crimson colour shows that this is a character who
values style over substance and likes to break the rules. Comedy of manners usually features a character that challenges
the social norms of a particular society and Algernon is the instigator in this case.
.nz
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.nz
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image from howtodrawfasion.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
image from howtodrawfasion.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
.nz
www.newzealandplayhouse.co
e.co.nz
www.newzealandplayhous
This resource was compiled by Daniel Allan; actor, director,
artistic director at Body in Space, New Zealand high
school drama and English teacher, actor/director for New
Zealand Playhouse’s 2013 Shakespeare: As You Write It tour
and writer for New Zealand Playhouse’s 2015 tour of the
adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest.
The units in the resource are designed to help you prepare
for and follow up from our show, but of course you might
find parts of this useful at other times of the year. That’s
great. Use it how you like.
If you have any questions or suggestions relating to this
resource or our plays, give us a buzz on 0800 894 500
(within NZ) or +64 3 974 3499 (outside NZ) and we’d be so,
so happy to chat.
We also value your feedback on our plays and these
resources, so don’t be afraid to hit us up with any
suggestions!
www.newzealandplayhouse.co.nz
PO Box 19907, Christchurch 8241, NZ
GPO Box 2358, Melbourne, VIC 3001, AUS