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.
Luckily, in this Roundabout revival, Lady Bracknell is played by Brian Bedford. She couldn't be in better hands. The 75-year-old star -- who also directs -- is consistently funny without resorting to camp or caricature. He's a master of the precise pause and the arched eyebrow, evoking laughter simply by dropping his voice an octave on a word. Floating onstage like a galleon in full sail (excellent costumes by Desmond Heeley), he basically plays the Gorgon straight.
Bedford may be the star of this vehicle, but he's shrewd enough to surround himself with sturdy backup, none cleverer at their jobs than Dana Ivey and Paxton Whitehead, a dynamite comic duo as the lovesick tutor Miss Prism and the obtuse vicar, the Reverend Canon Chasuble. As the arbiter of all matters of good taste, even the uncompromising Lady Bracknell would agree that, from top to bottom, this is one fine cast.
1895 | Broadway |
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1902 | Broadway |
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1910 | Broadway |
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1921 | Broadway |
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1926 | Broadway |
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1939 | Broadway |
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1977 | Broadway |
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1985 | Off-Broadway |
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1996 | Off-Broadway |
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2002 | Off-Broadway |
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2003 | Off-Broadway |
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2008 | Off-Broadway |
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2011 | Broadway |
Roundabout Revival Broadway |
2012 | West End |
Old Red Lion Theatre Production West End Transfer West End |
2015 | West End |
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2018 | West End |
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2022 | West End |
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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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