Stratford Festival review: Colourful sets and ornate costumes offer the perfect backdrop for comedy in The Importance of Being Earnest

Marissa Orjalo as Cecily Cardew, Carter Gulseth as Algernon Moncrieff, Joe Perry as John Worthing and Allison Lynch as Gwendolen Fairfax, The Importance of Being Earnest. Stratford Festival 2026.

Besides the return of Something Rotten!, which everyone knew was once again going to be a smash hit, director Krista Jackson’s production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest might be the funniest show at the Stratford Festival this season.

Without much knowledge of Wilde’s work, I went into opening night at the Avon Theatre with the feeling I was in for another story about a bunch of rich people behaving badly in Victorian England, with at least one character named Ernest. While I wasn’t entirely wrong, what I hadn’t counted on was Wilde’s signature comedy and the ability of this cast and crew to make the absolute most of the humour in this play.

From the time I walked into the theatre and saw the beautifully designed set – the interior of a Victorian sitting room painted bright pink with all sorts of oddities hanging on the walls including a human skull, a cat skeleton, an accordion and a French horn among other items – I quickly realized I was in for a much more amusing show than I’d first thought.

The costume designs, too, are something to marvel at. Between the summer suits and smoking jackets worn by Algernon Moncrieff (Carter Gulseth) and John “Jack” Worthing (Joe Perry) and the beautifully ornate dresses and gowns – each a different bright and audacious colour, and accented with sparkling jewels I can only describe as Victorian bling – worn by Lady Bracknell (Fiona Reid), Gwendolen Fairfax (Allison Lynch) and Cecily Cardew (Marissa Orjalo), the whole production felt like it was somehow both of its time and absurdist, lending itself as perfect context for Wilde’s comedy.

And that comedy is non-stop in this production. There is very little dialogue in the play that isn’t punctuated with a joke, or at very least, a wry jab between Algernon and John. Even between the scenes, as characters like Algernon’s butler, Lane (Sean Arbuckle), John’s butler, Merriman (Liam Tobin), and his gardener, Moulton (Landon Nesbitt), are moving one set aside to reveal another, equally ornate and beautiful set, there are brief moments of humour and physical comedy to keep the audience laughing.

The delivery of this comedy comes at a quick pace – not so quick that the audience can’t keep up but delivered at such a speed that allows one to truly appreciate the playwright’s genius and comedic wit.

Each of the actors onstage show their impeccable comedic timing, and every punchline hit its mark. While I enjoyed every performance in this production, Reid’s portrayal of the sharp-tongued and ever-observant Lady Bracknell as she quizzes both John and Cecily on their upbringing and social status to protect the reputations of her family members was a particular comedic high point for me.

I also enjoyed the budding friendship between Lynch as Gwendolen and Orjalo as Cecily, a bond that only becomes stronger after they realized they had both been lied to by the Ernest who proposed to them. Both actors did a remarkably funny job speaking and moving in unison, and making John and Algernon explain themselves before ultimately, and rather easily, forgiving their deceptions.

I should also mention the choreographic and comedic genius involved in the fight over muffins between Gulseth as Algernon and Perry as John. Using that scene as hilarious cover for a quick set change is brilliant.

If, like me, you haven’t yet been introduced to the work of Oscar Wilde, I believe this season’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest is a good place to start.

The Importance of Being Earnest runs at the Avon Theatre until Oct. 23.