Comedy, wit and fine period costumes at Kildare's Moat Theatre
The Moat Club presents The Importance of Being Earnest
The set is being constructed and final rehearsals are taking place for what is set to be the Moat Club’s perfect summer production: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
It’s been many years since the Moat Club has staged the play.
This iteration is being directed by Samantha Coventry and Mary Newman, experienced actors and directors with the Moat Club and elsewhere.
Oscar Wilde’s satirical play The Importance of Being Earnest was considered the Dublin-born writer’s greatest dramatic achievement. It took London by storm in 1895 when it was first produced and has remained as funny and insightful about the hypocrisies of high society ever since.
The Moat Club welcomes some new faces for this production including Ronan Bennett who recently appeared in Ballyduff Drama Group’s All-Ireland winning production of The Ferryman. Ronan, who is a teacher in the area, plays the role of fashionable man-about-town Algernon Moncrieff.
Playing Gwendoline Fairfax, Algernon’s cousin, is Laura Gleeson. Sadhbh Neville plays Cecily Cardew, Gwendoline’s ‘frenemy’.
The rest of the cast are no strangers to the Moat stage. Aaron O’Connor plays Jack Worthing, who is in love with Gwendoline but precluded from winning her hand due to the mystery surrounding his birth.
The redoubtable Lady Bracknell, standing in the way of the lovers, is played with aplomb by Moll Fullam. Canon Chasuble (Hugh Gallagher), the clergyman attached to Jack’s country residence, plays an important role in the plot, as does the object of his affections, Miss Prism (Maire Murphy), the governess of Cecily. Mark Neville plays Merriman, Jack’s butler. Lane, Algy’s butler, is Gerry Kavanagh.
Samantha Coventry said, “This is one of my favourite plays. Mary Newman had originally picked it last year, and when circumstances changed and I was approached to direct it, I agreed as long as we could do it jointly.
“It’s been great to direct such a talented cast”, she continued, “The level of commitment they have given to their characters is wonderful. In some cases, they are travelling long distances to rehearse. It’s an iconic play with so many familiar lines, it’s funny and witty and that has made for a very happy rehearsal room.”
The Importance of Being Earnest opens today, Tuesday 18 June and runs until Saturday 22 at 8pm nightly. Tickets available from the Moat Theatre box office on 045 883030 or by logging on to www.moattheatre.com.