On 4th April, one of our EF courses attended an adaptation of Oscar Wilde`s The Importance of Being Earnest by Phoenix Theatre and presented by English Speakers Circle, Düsseldorf.

Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedic play that satirizes the social norms and conventions of Victorian society. It revolves around two main characters, Jack and Algernon, who both create fictional personas to escape their responsibilities and live a life of freedom. Their deceptions lead to a series of misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and romantic entanglements, especially involving the women they love, Gwendolen and Cecily, who are both obsessed with the name "Ernest." The play critiques the importance placed on appearances and the triviality of social status, while humorously exploring the theme of identity. Ultimately, it reveals the absurdity of rigid societal expectations and the lengths people go to in order to maintain their personal desires and identities.

The adaptation we watched was special though, since only two actors performed all of eight different roles and had to switch costumes and characters frequently. A real feat which we enjoyed very much! According to the students it was very funny and easily understandable, too. 

Kathrin Ortmayr