The Importance of Being Earnest is a glorious comedy of mistaken identity, which ridicules codes of propriety and etiquette. Dashing men-about-town John Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff pursue fair ladies Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Matters are complicated by the imaginary characters invented by both men to cover their on-the-sly activities - not to mention the disapproval of Gwendolen's mother, the formidable Lady Bracknell.
Mr. Bedford's production is not entirely effortless - Wilde's rococo style can be daunting even to experienced classicists - but it is more buoyant and consistently funny than any I've seen. And as Lady Bracknell, Mr. Bedford presides at the cathedral's altar with supreme skill and stylishness - and a hint of substance too. It's one of the great performances of the season; to miss it would most definitely look like carelessness.
While it's fashionable these days to have the monstrous Bracknell tackled by a man, Bedford never seems tempted by the drag casting to veer toward camp, even when served up some of the best Wildean lines. His lips perpetually pursed as if sucking on a lemon, Bedford scowls and peers imperiously without ever betraying his real chromosomal makeup, even winkingly.
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1926 | Broadway |
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Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Revival of a Play | The Importance of Being Earnest |
2011 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Desmond Heeley |
2011 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Brian Bedford |
2011 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | 0 |
2011 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Desmond Heeley |
2011 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Brian Bedford |
2011 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | 0 |
2011 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design | Desmond Heeley |
2011 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Desmond Heeley |
2011 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Brian Bedford |
2011 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Roundabout Theatre Company |
2011 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Todd Haimes |
2011 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Harold Wolpert |
2011 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Julia C. Levy |
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