THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

If you're like me, you'll have a list of movies and shows that you've promised yourself one day you'll finally get round to seeing. A list of classics that everyone has heard of, most people have seen and when they hear you haven't, their 'shocked face' makes you feel like you've missed out on free money being handed out.

Breakfast at Tiffany's, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Blood Brothers, Starlight Express, Chicago, Citizen Kane, Rebel Without a Cause, Bullitt, It's a Wonderful Life, The Goonies, The Gremlins, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The list is endless and definitely diverse. Well, mine anyway. 

The Importance of Being Earnest was also on that list for me - though until recently, all I knew about it was that it was written by the popular Irish playwrite Oscar Wilde, it's one of those widely-accepted 'must-sees' and there was likely to be someone in it named Earnest. 

A PUNCHY RETELLING OF A CLASSIC

I'll avoid any attempt at writing a Guardian-worthy review and simply say this is definitely worth going to see. I had no idea what to expect having intentionally avoided reading any programmes or reviews in advance. What I experienced was a hilarious, camp, quirky take on Victorian 'high society' - marriage, courtship and keeping up with appearances, all of which still ring true today - played by an all-male cast.  If you've seen any of the Monty Python movies where the females are played by the hilarious male actors, you'll get an idea of what to expect. 

This is a classic adapted for a 2017 audience. Go see it. And tell me you didn't love the role of the sharp-tongued, highly-strung Aunt Augusta. Hilarious. 

Show runs until this Saturday 15th April. Tickets available at themaclive.com

*Photos courtesy of the MAC - looking back, mine were of the drinks we had before hand, boomerangs of people walking about the MAC's awesome open spaces, and a couple of very blurry pics I tried to sneakily take during the show.