...Earnest?
Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Udderbelly at Underbelly, George Square, Edinburgh

Perfect for fans of The Play That Goes Wrong and Noises Off. ***** (Skinny). Returning to the Fringe for the sixth time due to phenomenal demand, this Oscar Wilde twist is guaranteed to have you in stitches. When a traditional production of Oscar Wilde’s classic play gets underway, everything seems to be going perfectly to plan... until the lead actor fails to arrive on cue. 'Guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of even the greatest of improv-phobic curmudgeons' **** (Scotsman).

Historically, I am not an improv fan. Too often it is awkward, stunted, or slapstick instead of smart. But ...Earnest? is none of those things. Instead it is snappy, clever, and very well delivered. The team both on and off stage are clearly incredibly familiar with the material and each other, as every aspect runs as smoothly as it's supposed to (which sometimes isn't very). This is impressive at any fringe show, but especially one of this scale and pace (read: speedy).

I have awarded the performance I saw 4 stars, however this could easily be 5 depending on the specific show you see. The premise is this: an actor doesn't turn up for the show and so an audience member must step in to replace him. Over time they need more and more participants until the whole thing ends up a little farcical - but in the best way possible.

This production runs at 90 minutes and is split into three acts. Each of these is marked by an announcement from the director to buy the new ‘cast’ some time to prepare. The first time this happened, it was hilarious. It took a moment to tell if he really was part of the creative team, or actually just another actor. The second time, it was funny but slightly predictable. And by the third, I was left wanting something new or wittier.

Would I go back to see it? Yes. Do I think they could still amend some moments to keep it fresh and flowing? Also yes.

You can book tickets to ...Earnest? here.

Review by Katie