“The episode starts with…
Wait, doesn’t he have…'”
It’s a bit of crime that it was relatively easy to get one of the good cheap seats to see Mr Burns again at the Almeida this far into the run but I suppose it is indicative of the risks that theatres take when they programme in a more exciting way than simply remounting The Importance of Being Earnest… And I sure ain’t complaining as I loved being able to revisit this searing production of Ann Washburn’s play and appreciate more of its dense cultural referencing and complexity rather than just sitting slack-jawed at the audacity of the piece.
My original review can be found here and I think I will leave it at that, I just run the risk of repeating myself ad nauseam otherwise. What I would recommend you read instead are Mildly Bitter’s insightful takes on the US productions she saw – first one here, and second one here which demonstrate a brilliantly articulated appreciation of what the show, and Washburn, are trying to do, and also offer an interesting look into how it has, and continues to, developed.
