"It's an absolute pleasure to be working alongside The Alnwick Playhouse again."
Louis Roberts
A new production of an Oscar Wilde classic is about to go on tour across the region but one of the first venues marks an important homecoming for the Amble based theatre company.
Northumberland Theatre Company’s touring production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” is visiting 19 venues from the Scottish Borders to the East Riding of Yorkshire between now and mid-October and on 3rd and 4th September it will be performed three times at the Alnwick Playhouse.
The Playhouse was the home of the Northumberland Theatre Company for more than 38 years after they converted the building from a cinema to a theatre in 1984 and this will be the first time the company will have performed there since moving into their current home at the Dovecote Centre in Amble.
The Importance of being Earnest tells the story of two young bachelors, John ‘Jack’ Worthing and Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff, who create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives. They attempt to win the hearts of two women, Cecily and Gwendolyn who, conveniently enough, claim to only love men called Ernest.
As well as the Alnwick performances, NTC has been commissioned by Alnwick Playhouse to take theatre out into the community by performing impromptu set extracts from The Importance of Being Ernest, in informal settings such as cafes and the market square.
Jo Potts Playhouse Manager said: “It is wonderful to be working with NTC to present The Importance of Being Ernest on the main stage, we trust the company shall be met with a warm welcome back from our audiences. The ambition of the pop-up project is to first of all entertain locals and visitors with a unique pop up experience of theatre which is not ticketed or staged but just happens.”
NTC Stage manager and director Louis Roberts added: ““It’s an absolute pleasure to be working alongside The Alnwick Playhouse again. After the difficulties everyone has faced over the last year and a half, it’s more important than ever to form new partnerships and nurture existing relationships, particularly in the cultural sector which has been hit particularly hard. We couldn’t be happier about being back on the playhouse stage with The Importance of being Earnest and hope it’s the first of many more to come!”
The production stars Ben Kinloch as Jack Worthing, David McCarthy as Algernon Moncrieff, Sarah Bulmer as Cecily Cardew, Tori Klays as Gwendolen Fairfax and Eilidh Towman as Lady Bracknell and Miss Prism. Music is by Liam Scarth.
Tickets for the Alnwick event: www.alnwickplayhouse.co.uk/event/the-importance-of-being-earnest/
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Photo: Tori and Louis
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