Characters & Their Costumes

Page from Unit 3 Sketchbook
Algernon, Act Two: Short Suit & Slippers

Page from Unit 3 Sketchbook
Cecily, Act Two: Dress & Ballet Pumps

Approach to Design Brief

As "The Importance of Being Earnest" is set in 'the present' I think it would take the design in an interesting direction if I take this literally and base my designs on today's society.
To keep it relevant to the themes and storyline of the play I plan to create costumes with modern silhouettes but pattern the fabrics using a contemporary twist on Victorian style. Contrasting these two elements will, I believe, create a visually engaging design aesthetic and something new for this classic text.
A further development I made whilst researching for the project was to take inspiration for the modern silhouettes only from British designers, thus keeping with the English setting and style of Wilde's play.
In addition, I will approach the theme of colour by using the associations with colours to decipher the appropriate one for each character. Then taking this inspiration and applying it to the fabric patterns.
I'm excited about beginning the design process and feel enthusiastic about where my project is heading.

Character Analysis: "The Importance of Being Earnest".

John (Jack/Earnest) Worthing, J.P
*Protagonist
*Represents conventional Victorian values, such as: duty, courtship, respectability.
*Hypcritically flouts these characteristics.
*He knows what's expected from Victorian society.
*Escapes the boundaries of his real life and respectability by going to the city and indulging in the actions and behaviours he pretends to disapprove of in his 'brother'.
*Leads a double life (Jack in the country/ Earnest in the city).
*Initals after his name stand for Justice of Peace, a legal judge.
*Feels less at home in aristocratic society as he is a foundling.
*Ironically called his brother Earnest, as in fact deceiving everyone.
*Represents hypocrisy in Victorian morality.
*Denies to himself and others his moral wrongdoing.

Algernon Moncrieff
*Friend of Jack from the city, secondary hero.
*Self absorbed, stylish, witty, idle, charismatic, a decorative bachelor.
*Swears to never to marry, but falls in love with Cecily (Jack's ward)
*Speaks in paradoxical and epigrammatic pronouncements.
*Living is an art form (embodies this view of Oscar Wilde), life is art, something one creates oneself.
*Disrespects the society he is to inherit.
*No moral convictions, he feels his only duty is to live beautifully.
*Like Jack, creates a fictional character "Bunbury" to escape his responsibilities and leave the city to avoid social engagements.
*Propoenent of aestheticism.
*Takes innocent delight in his ingenuity, acknowledges his wrongdoing and revels in it.
*Doesn't take himself seriously.
*Upper class, opulent living.
*Hedonist.

Gwendolen Fairfax
*Represents conventional Victorian womanhood.
*Bent on self-improvements, she has ideas and ideals and attends lectures.
*Cosmopolitan and pretentious.
*Elegant fashion and sophistication.
*Daughter of Lady Bracknell, similar outrageous pronouncements and speaks with an air of authority.
*Her consciousness of self-image clouds her judgement.
*She is the dominant aggressive partner in the relationship with Jack (inverted traditional gender roles)
*Her movements and speech is very calculated.
*Fixated on the name "Earnest" (metaphor for Victorian middle and upper classes obsession with virtue and honor).

Cecily Cardew
*Child of nature, lives in the country, the traditional home of innocence.
*Antithesis of Gwendolen.
*Young and pretty.
*Dresses and wears her hair simply.
*Her innocence is contrasted with her fascination of wickedness. She falls for Jack's brother Earnest, from hearing his wicked tales and bad reputation.
*Unwillingness to 'improve'.
*Superficial, only interested in marrying a man named Earnest, like Gwendolen.
*She invented and elaborate romance with Earnest, this fantasisim is similar to Jack and Algernon.
*Perfect mate for Algernon, given to creating fictions. Again embodies the view that life is a work of art, so represented in her journal and correspondence with Earnest.
*A romantic.

Lady Bracknell
*Antagonist of the play, blocks both potential marriages.
*Aunt of Algernon, mother of Gwendolen.
*Only character without a foil of partner (Jack/ Gwen, Algy/ Cecily, Miss Prism/ Chausable, Lane/ Merriman)
*Passes judgement on other's behaviour, not silently.
*Archetypal upper class Victorian matron. Typical Victorian Classicism.
*Embodies rules and traditions of society.
*Insists Gwendolen should not marry beneath her, has made it her life's goal to make Gwendolen follow in her footsteps).
*Fixated on appearances at the expense of reality (trapped in a web of superficiality).
*Primary representative of conventional Victorian morality.
* Snobbish, domineering, cunning, narrow-minded and authoritarian.
*Lacking in compassion, cares nothing about humane aspects disrupted in Jack's childhood.
*Her outrageous pronouncements, and lack of awareness of how ridiculous they are, make her a funny and likeable character.

Miss Prism
*Cecily's governess.
*Name suggests she has all the apparent respectability and moral severity expected of a Victorian governess, but she has a hidden past.
*Secret life as a novelist, suggest her to be a romantic and artistic underneath her stern exterior.
*Stern, rigid.
*Source of pedantic bromides and clichés.
*Hrshly criticizes Jack's brother.
*She entertains romantic feeling for Dr. Chasuble, but as he is a priest is prohibited from telling him directly.


Rev. Canon Chausable, D.D
*Initials after the name (D.D) stand for Doctor of Divinity.
*He is the local vicar in Jack's area of the country.
*Typical vicar type but similar in age to Miss Prism.
*Easy-going, postivive.
*Jack and Algernon ask him to christen them both, at separate times, "Earnest".
*Though celibate entertains romantic feelings for Miss Prism, good match for the educated lady.

Lane
*Algernon's butler.
*not passive, deliver droll lines and comments.
*Knows about bunburying at the beginning of the play .

Merriman
*Jack's butler in the manor house, country estate.
*In Acts II & III.
*In one scene forces bickering between Gwendolen and Cecily to maintain 'polite'.

Initial Reaction to Chosen Texts

Photography by: Marina Bussandri

When we received the Unit 3, part 2 brief I was excited to get going. I began by reading "The Importance of Being Earnest" which I absolutely loved. I thought it was funny, witty, and most importantly something I would enjoy designing for. However I thought it best to explore the other texts as well so as not to cut my options short. "The Judas Kiss" by David Hare I found less of an "easy-read", it didn't grip me as much and overall I was less enthusiastic. However the name immediately inspired ideas for a theme of colours, deep reds and maroons, purples and burgundies. Despite this excitement the colour possibilities, both Acts are set indoors, whereas in "The Importance of Being Earnest" had more variety. Also, It had female and male characters to design for which gives me as a designer a larger capacity for choice. As I am predominantly interested in costume, the large amounts of nudity in "The Judas Kiss" I felt also limited my choices. I went to see "The Judas Kiss" and enjoyed it but after seeing it realised that I was furthermore attracted to "The Importance of Being Earnest". The more I thought about it the more enthusiastic I became with Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest", consequently this is my final choice of text for Unit 3, part 2.

"The Judas Kiss"

Oscar Wilde (Everett) holding Bosie (fox)
Photograph via: http://www.theartsdesk.com/
theatre/judas-kiss-duke-yorks-theatre

"The Judas Kiss" by David Hare (The Duke of York's Theatre) is a tale that tells of love, passion, morality, friendship, society and aristocracy in the context of Oscar Wilde's life. After his lover's, Bosie's, mother files a lawsuit against him he is left no choice but to flee the country where he decides to reside in Naples with his lover.
I was lucky enough to have seen the play while Rupert Everett was playing Oscar Wilde. He gave a heartfelt and gripping performance, in which he embodied the character of Wilde immaculately. His mannerisms, stature, posture, look were just utter perfection; so believable that it felt like it was Oscar Wilde himself. His  relaxed attitude to life was executed perfectly, with moments seeming frivolous and others emphasizing the importance of love and following one's heart. The first act all seems dandy and then the treachery of Bosie, played by Freddie Fox, towards Wilde is heart wrenching. Real empathy is achieved in this production. Freddie Fox also gave a great performance, his look was aristocratic his mannerisms and voice believable, albeit at some point a little mumbled.
The staging of the production I was less than impressed with. In the first act, there was a bench/ chaise lounge placed against a wall which was used many times, (eg. Bosie sits and talks whilst on it, Wilde takes a nap lying down), It was behind a table and therefore the view was incredibly limited. The blocking was a little shaky too. There is a franticness and panic in the first act as the police are searching for Wilde, they are hiding out in a hotel, trains are leaving and Wilde is running out of time to flee. However, much the blocking of the characters walking up and down the stage was definitely lost in translation. Instead of reflecting the panic of the characters it just appeared messy and was frustrating for me as an audience member to watch.
The costumes were great, Oscar Wilde's particularly emblematic in the first half in his love of luxury and opulence, and his more humble situation in the second. Even when Bosie has wrapped the bed sheet around his waste in the second half, it seems believable and has a toga like quality to it. It still hung from his body in the right way and emphasize the betrayal against Wilde, by reminding the audience of his constant relations with younger men in comparison to Wilde.
The set design was far from perfect. I personally found the hotel room, which had an enormous brocade velvet panel of fabric billowed against the wall did not work. I know it is written in the details of the introduction to the book but it was not executed effectively and this really let the performance down for me. It was distracting.  The hotel room in Act One was on a diagonal and I found this to be ineffective as well. There was a table downstage and the characters who at times sat behind it were lost. Sight lines were definitely an issue. On a positive note the lighting was very good. There was a window in the wall of the set, meant to be a hotel room window which had a lighting behind which really embodied daylight realistically.
The Second act was a good embodiment of the simplistic lifestyle Wilde was living, in comparison to the lavish and extravagant in Act One but the setup I once again did not like. The lighting however was once again very effective in this part of the play
Overall I found the performance enjoyable mainly as a result of the performance given by Ruper
t Evertt. The play lacked in some areas and was slow at times but definitely worth the visit.