LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN by Oscar Wilde, directed by Raymond Storey, with Monica Correa, Christopher Darroch, Brian Bisson, Matthew Davis, Deanna Somers, Sarah Davey and Athena Lamarre. George Brown Theatre (530 King East). April 25 at 8 pm, matinee April 26 at 2 pm. $15, matinee pwyc ($5 minimum). Rating: NNN
Rating: NNN
oscar wilde manages to get laughs even in the midst of serious drama. Lady Windermere’s Fan isn’t as popular a show as The Importance Of Being Earnest, but it’s a well-written moral melodrama about love and duty that works when done with care and passion.Those are qualities that the graduating class at George Brown Theatre, directed by Raymond Storey, bring to the script. There are plenty of sparkling witticisms and clever turns of phrase — delivered by Sarah Davey, Matthew Davis and others — but the thrust of the drama is in the four-way relationship between the title character, her husband, the flirtatious Lord Darlington and the morally shady Mrs. Erlynne, who’s seeking to reinstate herself in society.
Brian Bisson brings ardour to the lovesick Darlington, and while Deanna Somers doesn’t have quite the dramatic weight for Mrs. Erlynne, she knows a thing or two about theatrical gravity.
Best of all are Christopher Darroch’s ramrod-straight Lord Windermere and Monica Correa’s Lady Windermere, who moves believably from innocent mother to distraught, angry wife and then to grateful friend.glenns@nowtoronto.com
jonkap@nowtoronto.com
