(1986) In his residence in London, Algernon Moncrieff (Rupert Frazer), overdressed and overeducated but overstretched financially, informs his friend Ernest Worthing (Paul McGann), who professes his love for Algernon's first cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax (Amanda Redman), that being in love certainly is romantic, but a definite proposal of marriage isn't.

An engraving on a cigarette case ("More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read") - which Algernon had found, not realizing it belonged to his friend since it was addressed to "Uncle Jack" - leads to Ernest's explaining "the pure and simple truth" of being the guardian of his 18-year-old ward, Cecily Cardew (Natalie Ogle), residing at his country manor. Ernest further admits that his actual name is Jack and that he employs the fictitious name Ernest for a rakish, younger brother, convenient for getting away from the country to London. If he wins Gwendolen, Jack declares he'll do in his brother Jack.

"Truth is rarely pure and never simple," answers Algernon, accusing Jack of being a Bunburyist, that is, similar to himself, for he uses the invention of an invalid acquaintance named Bunbury for compassionate visits to avoid responsibilities, such as social occasions with his Aunt Augusta Bracknell (Joan Plowwright).

In this faithful BBC staging of Oscar Wilde's social satire, director Stuart Burge largely trusts the playwright's witty, clever script for its pure and simple wickness.

As Ernest (for Jack is in London) attempts to propose marriage to Gwendolen (not indifferent even before she'd met him since her "ideal to love someone named Ernest" - a divine, musical name with its own vibration - has been paramount among her hopes), he's interrupted by the girl's mother, Lady Bracknell. Engagements are too important to be left to young women, raised to be shortsighted, to decide for themselves.

During her interrogation of the gentleman to determine his quality and suitability as a son-in-law (29 years of age, smokes, knows nothing), Lady Bracknell asks about his parentage. Answering that he has lost both - "To lose one parent," Lady Bracknell observes, "may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness" - Ernest then admits his parents lost him: he was a foundling left in a handbag at Victoria Station. This will not do; Lady Bracknell cannot condone her daughter's having "an alliance with a parcel."

Afterward, aggrieved, Ernest (for Jack is still in London) abuses Algernon's aunt in calling her "a monster without being a myth." Algernon takes no offense, only amusement: "Relations are simply a tedious pack of people who haven't the remotest knowledge of how to live nor the smallest instinct when to die."

Intrigued about Ernest's ward, Algernon - advising Ernest that truth is not the sort of thing to offer a refined lady, rather one should make love to her if she's pretty or to another if she's plain - makes his way to Hertfordshire, pretending to be Uncle Jack's brother Ernest from London.

Under the tutelage of her governess Miss Prism (Gemma Jones), who has a barely disguised fondness for the clergyman Dr Chasuble (Alec McCowen), Cecily, already having imagined an engagement of six months to Ernest, including a breakup (all recorded in her diary along with letters she has composed for him to herself), is overjoyed - "I have never met a really wicked person before" - to finally make Ernest's acquaintance, for she has long dreamed "to love someone named Ernest."

When he protests her designating him as wicked, she replies: "I hope you have not been leading a double life" as both good and wicked. He asks her to reform him and then marry him; she has already obtained a ring and bangle for their engagement.

However, unexpectedly Uncle Jack arrives in mourning attire with news of his brother's death in Paris. Both men inquire of Dr Chasuble of his performing their rechristening. An unsavory incident of a solicitor's demand from Ernest for payment of £762 at the Savory ("No gentleman ever has any money") spoils the romance, for though John agrees to make good (after all it was his account) on his "brother's" behalf, he makes a condition that Ernest immediately depart by dogcart to be at Bunbury's bedside.

Soon after Gwendolen makes her appearance, the two young ladies, employing dueling diaries to establish precedence of engagement to Ernest, discover the gross deceptions; after calling each other various names, they refer to each other as "sister."

Just as the contentious convolutions are getting straightened out to everyone's satisfaction (style rather than sincerity being Gwendolen's concern), Lady Bracknell enters and makes a scene, creating renewed uncertainty. Declaiming the proposed christenings as "grotesque and irreligious," Lady Bracknell espying Miss Prism demands: "Where is that baby?" - referring to the infant in a perambulator under the governess's care that disappeared nearly three decades ago.

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Copyright © 2009 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
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