The critically acclaimed ★★★★★ production of The Importance of Being… Earnest? Returns to the Edinburgh Fringe
Ahead of the upcoming Edinburgh Fringe Show, Simon Paris, director of Say It Again, Sorry? Is interviewed for upcoming show The Importance of Being… Earnest?
Q: The title of the show, "The Importance of Being... Earnest?" seems to hint at a playful twist. Can you give us a sneak peek into what makes this production different and how it challenges the audience's expectations?
This show is a completely traditional production of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, until the actor playing the lead role, Ernest, doesn’t arrive on cue, resulting in the director casting a (real) audience member into the title role. Throughout the show the rest of the cast drop out one by one and are all replaced with other audience members, until the show is left with no actors left in the piece and the cast is made up entirely of audience members.
Q: How did you come up with the unique concept of inviting audience members to step into the spotlight in "The Importance of Being... Earnest?" Was it inspired by a sudden urge to give everyone a taste of their 15 minutes of fame?
…Earnest? came about through the idea of offering unsuspecting audience members the chance to step out of their comfort zone, take a risk and become a star. We find that especially during the Edinburgh Fringe we’ve noticed that the audience members who decide to volunteer to perform in our show become a local legend for the rest of the festival and are regularly spotted by other audience members. So this is their chance to shine!
Q: Can you share a memorable instance where an audience member's unexpected talent, comedic surprise, or response took the show in an unforeseen direction? Additionally, what are the challenges and unexpected benefits that come with relying on audience participation, and have you been pleasantly surprised by the creativity and spontaneity of individuals who step into the spotlight?
There's always something unique, weird and wonderful about every show we do, but sometimes we do get someone who really goes out on a limb. We once had a man attempt to deliver his lines while crawling underneath Lady Bracknell's skirt. We've had random mass singalongs to Queen and audience members spontaneously kiss mid-scene.
The main challenge in creating this kind of work is that it is very difficult to rehearse. This challenge led us to organising frequent open-rehearsals. We now usually have 5-10 people who sit in, observe and get involved throughout our rehearsal process and they are usually happy to let us test scenes out on them. Although this is especially useful for interactive work, I’ve found the process so beneficial, that now, with any work that I’m directing, I always have a few open-rehearsals to gain some early and organic audience feedback.
Q: Given the unexpected nature of the play, what would you do if an audience member really got sick? Can you share any instances where you had to improvise on the spot while already improvising?
Part of why we have been building this show for five years now is that we have been refining and creating a massive amount of contingencies of what to do when things don’t go to plan. Having said that, the people who do volunteer in our show are given the star treatment, are constantly checked in with and are always looked after. If anybody that is volunteering suddenly needs to stop, they’re free to go at any point.
Last year as part of the Edinburgh Fringe we had an incredible moment when a child volunteered themselves to get on stage, audition and read a monologue in front of the audience. The only problem was that they kept the fact that they couldn’t read a secret until they got on stage. One of our cast members managed to get their Dad to fill in and they ended up getting the role!
Q: With each night offering a unique experience, how do you keep the show fresh and engaging for both the returning audience members and those who are seeing it for the first time? Is there a secret ingredient that keeps the laughter flowing?
The secret ingredient is the true level of risk and danger that the show invites. Every night it feels like opening night as we truly can’t predict what is going to happen and who is going to end up joining us on stage. It’s incredible to see so many returning audience members, sometimes coming back up to 10 times (!) throughout the fringe, especially when there is so much other great work at the Festival.
Q: How do the performers manage to keep the show running smoothly and seamlessly despite the unpredictable nature of audience participation? Any secrets or emergency backup plans you can share?
The cast are incredibly gifted at accepting and embracing the wonderful curveballs that the audience members often throw at them. We don’t particularly have an exact show we are trying to recreate every night, rather, we offer audience members opportunities to shine and when they do, it feels like real magic is created.
Q: Lastly, what can audiences expect from this year's run of the show? Any surprises, special additions, or exciting new elements that you'd like to share?
Without giving away too many surprises, our show now ends with a short scene by a surprise celebrity cameo performer who is different every night. Since the show has been making such a name for itself over the past few years, we’ve been contacted by a lot of incredible and well known performers who are excited to be part of the ‘…Earnest?’ world.
And of course if any readers out there would like to see (or be in!) The Importance of Being… Earnest?, we are on every day during the Edinburgh Fringe from August 2nd-27th at 4.40pm in the Pleasance Courtyard. You can get tickets here.