The Importance of Being Oscar, Jermyn Street Theatre Review
Alastair Whatley in The Importance of Being Oscar. Photo by Marc Brenner
Written by Cathie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Oscar Wilde was a man with as many sparkles as a diamond and twice as many hidden facets. The ‘quintessential queer’, he was a famed socialite who chased fame and glory, a stellar playwright and a dreamy poet, yet his name is also further associated with scandal and shame. The Importance of Being Oscar seeks to explore and showcase Wilde’s historic rise to fame and heights of grandeur before his Icarus fall into imprisonment and exile. This rare revival is sixty years on from the original running of Micheál MacLiammóir‘s legendary play which in itself was sixty years on from Wilde’s death. Considering the wild challenges facing the theatre world currently, there is no better time for this play about one of art's most contradictory devotees.
Michael Fentiman’s direction is nuanced and finely tuned to ensure this play brings out every ounce of the mercurialness of Wilde without getting lost in his wild extravagance. This show is a beautiful example of captivating one man shows. Alastair Whatley is truly magnificent as Wilde. His love and admiration of Wilde is clear, and the multi-layered performance Whately gives as a one-man show is phenomenal to watch. He sparkles as he flits between acting as narrator with his own personal views and switching between Wilde and his famous characters with nuance and perfect precision. The first half focuses on Wilde’s rise, with excerpts from The Portrait of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Windemere’s fan showcased along with several of his letters, including his thoughts on Ross, Grey and travels in America. We see his romances including Robert Ross, Constance Grey and the beginning of his doomed connection with “Bosie” Douglass. The second half focuses most profoundly on Wilde’s imprisonment and time in exile away from London. We hear long extracts from De Profundis and The Ballad of Reading Gaol and Whately’s performance is so powerful it brings some of the audience to near tears. At running just under two hours including a short interval, this is the perfect quick play to enjoy after work but does not leave you running for the last tube and presents the trajectory of Wilde’s life in a beautifully balanced way.
Madeleine Girling’s sparse set is very reminiscent of a compact mirror which both magnifies Wilde’s extravagant personality portrayed but also removes any distractions from focusing on his words. It is a very beautiful element which sharpens this play’s purpose further. Chris Davey’s lighting design to highlight key monologues and different stages of Wilde’s life also worked well to add pathos and poignancy to this play.
In Wilde’s own words, “there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” He would have adored this play which encapsulates his contradictions and beauty so well whilst acknowledging his flaws and injustices faced. This play is a love letter to all things Wilde and a beautiful tribute to his impact on the world of art. If you are new to Wilde then this play is a great introduction to the artist and his work and if you are a longtime admirer of Wilde then this play is as welcoming as your favourite book. If you are interested in learning more about Wilde, celebrating his greatest works of art and having a fabulous night out at the theatre then I thoroughly encourage seeing this play for you.
At Jermyn Street Theatre until 19 April 2025
★ ★ ★ ★★
