MovieChat Forums > The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) Discussion > In Drag in Wilde?

In Drag in Wilde?

posted 15 years ago by salinemi48176
4 replies | jump to latest

Although in the films of "Earnest," the part of Lady Bracknell is played by females, on stage the role is often played by men, as is the case this season at Stratford, where Tony winner Brian Bedford reprises the role of the matriarch. Of course, in "Charley's Aunt," another Wilde play, the role is usually (if not always?) done in drag. Was it ever Wilde's intention to have the roles played by men? When it was originally staged, Lady Bracknell was played by a woman. I'm wondering how the "drag" thing evolved, and if it had been done in Wilde's lifetime. As the leading men's characters are not what they seem, I'm guessing having a man in Lady Bracknell's role is a (barely) winking nod to that whole point. I'm just having trouble finding anything about what Wilde intended for the role. Any takers?

[–] warrengwonka 14 years ago

Charley's Aunt is by Brandon Thomas, and the role is a male role, Lord Fancourt Babberly, who is persuaded to impersonate Charley's Aunt, from Brazil, where the nuts come from.

[–] BlindMan-11 14 years ago

It was considered unseemly for a woman to be in the 'arts' in the days of Wilde.

If you also look back at the Ivy League colleges at that time, it was most common for a man to play the female parts.

It was not considered 'drag' per say but proper for a woman not to be on the stage in plays....generally speaking

[–] angelofvic 12 years ago

This would have never happened in Wilde's day. It was during the first run of this play that Wilde was incarcerated for two years for being a homosexual.

Also, to correct something that a poster above said, there was nothing unseemly about a woman being an actress in Wilde's day. Just look at Lillie Langtry, Sarah Bernhardt, and so on. That poster must be thinking of Elizabethan times.
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[–] stevekaczynski 7 years ago

In England, actresses began performing in plays in the 1660s, some decades after Shakespeare, although it was not until the 18th century that this became entirely respectable.

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