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The Importance of Being Earnest: A comedy of errors

Actor-producer-director Jeff Goldberg revisits Oscar Wilde’s farcical play The Importance of Being Earnest

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The Importance of Being Earnest
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Over the last few years, New York-born screenwriter and playwright Jeff Goldberg has helmed plays on diverse topics such as arranged marriages, the complicated relationship between an estranged father and son and the bitter-sweet bond between two lovers, etc. The writer-actor-producer-director, who wears many hats with aplomb, is now back with his new play, The Importance of Being Earnest.

Based on Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde’s famous work by the same name that was first performed in 1895, it revolves around two bachelors, John ‘Jack’ Worthing and Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff, who create alter egos named Earnest to escape their tiresome lives. They attempt to win the hearts of two women who, conveniently, claim to only love men called Ea​rnest. How the pair struggles to keep up with their own stories and gets entangled in a tale of deception, disguise and misadventure forms the crux of the plot. The farcical comedy features Pashmina Roshan, Neeti Singhi, Shreyas Porus Pardiwalla, Sankalp Joshi, Takshay​ Tarneja, Taniya Kalra and Ankit Narang. ​

Jeff tells After Hrs his inspiration behind revisiting Wilde’s iconic piece.

What prompted you to direct this play?

At our studio, we are attracted to great writing. We want to give our actors and audience the opportunity to work with the finest texts ever written. In the case of The Importance of Being Earnest, it was a wonderfully easy choice because it is both brilliantly written and hilarious.

When were you first introduced to it and what appealed to you about it?

I first saw the play in Paris where it was staged in French. It was a wonderful experience because Oscar himself lived much of his life in France and was instrumental in the translation of his texts. He ensured that they did not lose their wit and comedy.

Have you made any changes to the script to make it contemporary?

We have kept the play in its original context as we felt that the writing is so tight and clever that we did not want to upset the power of the text. However, we did make many edits to keep the plot fresh and timely.

How difficult was it for you to capture the period in which the play is set in?

As a team we have had to do ample research to understand the context of the emotional interconnectivity of the characters and society. The Victorian Age is a brilliant time in history. We had to immerse ourselves in the music, art and culture allowing us to really capture the mood of the play.

What can the audience look forward to in this production?

Plenty of laughs and the genius of Oscar Wilde. His writing is still so relevant and cutting. It is a great story that stands the test of time and cuts across all cultures.

The Importance of Being Earnest will be staged on April 28 at 6 pm at Royal Opera House.

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