Our History

The Importance of Being Earnest

6 – 8 Aug 1947

Venue

Albert Hall, Brisbane

Producer

Brisbane Repertory Theatre

Director

Alex Foster

Playwright

Oscar Wilde

Cast

Franklyn Evans
Mervyn Eadie
Graham Webster
Marjorie Mant
Gwen Wheeler
Elsie Brooks
Patricia Sampey
Harold Cox
David Castle
Estelle Cormack

1947 program - by 1945 the 'Society' had been dropped. This design lasted until 1950.
**Courtesy QPAC Museum**

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1947)

Theatre critic Doris Waraker wrote in The Telegraph of Repertory’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest, “On the whole Alex Foster [director] and his cast were very successful with the artificiality of this difficult piece, and the audience obviously enjoyed the production”.

But then proposed these refinements for subsequent performances – really notes for the director! She suggested that “Mr Webster and Mr Cox learn from Miss Brooks and Mr Eadie the difficult art of allowing for laughs; that Marjorie Mant tone down considerably her very exaggerated portrait of Lady Bracknell; and that David Castle and Mervyn Eadie (whose work is outstanding) should refrain from glancing into the stalls” (August 7,1947).

Writer: Christine Comans