It takes a certain confidence – or arrogance – to take a look at Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated work and think: ‘This could be done better.’

But Ridiculusmus’s David Woods and Jon Haynes decided they could do just that, by performing the elegant high-society farce as a duo – with no other cast members to help them as they tackle at least nine roles, thanks to quick changes, cross-dressing and the occasional used of hand puppets.

And in doing so they change the whole dynamic of the comedy. Wilde’s delightfully sardonic script is relegated to almost an afterthought, as the laughs now come from the pair’s valiant and often slapstick efforts to keep up with the wardrobe changes required of them. It’s no longer an acidic comedy of Victorian manners, but a real ‘oops, there goes my trousers’ farce.

Few classic plays would be more suitable to this imaginative, low-budget approach. But with both Algernon and Jack spending much of the time pretending to be Ernest to win the hand of their respective girls, identity confusion and the masks we present to the world are already at the centre of the plot. Having each actor play a handful of parts – and sharing the role of the terrifying Lady Bracknell – could seem almost sensible. Almost.

Haynes and Woods, who arrive in Melbourne following a run at London’s Barbican, a UK tour and a couple of Australian seasons, are more than equal to the challenge they have set themselves. Their comic timing is impeccable, especially in their fearless acceptance of the inevitable silences that arise as one of them scuttles off-stage to become another character, and they can flip between parts even if the wardrobe change hasn’t quite kept up with them.

Their trouser-dropping and pantomime transvestism plays up to the image British comedy has unfairly attracted abroad, so you can see the international appeal. But in adding this sort of broad comedy to Wilde’s script, something has inevitably been lost, too – and it probably won’t just be the die-hard purists who’ll miss the impact of Wilde’s sparkling repartee, sacrificed in the name of clowning.

But most the liberties they’ve taken with the script are invisible – except for the appearance of ‘Ernest’ at the country house immediately after Jack has informed everyone of his death, which isn’t properly explained away – and the energy and spirited silliness of the adaptation is more than enough to entertain. Special mention must also be made of the kitsch Victoriana set, with every square inch wallpapered in garish floral patterns.

You’ll probably never see an interpretation of Wilde’s masterpiece quite like this again, and that alone makes it worth catching.

Reviewed by Steve Bennett
Melbourne, May 2006