Many of the greatest plays in world theatre are globally successful because of the specificity of the time and place of their setting: local dramas which have universal human significance. Oscar Wilde's most frequently performed comedy of manners can be categorised as such, which may be why so many attempts to translate it from the London of its time have proved unsuccessful.
This joint production by the Civic Theatre and Guna Nua Theatre Company, directed by David Parnell, has worked out an intelligent and largely sympathetic compromise which aims to lift the piece from Wilde's London to contemporary Dublin: we start at a rehearsal of the play by currently stylish young Dubliners reading from scripts (including Wilde's stage directions) and merge relatively seamlessly into the live action of the drama.
The different manners of today are here reflected by the body language of the players, the intonations of their speech and their facial expressions. Their costumes reflect today's dress codes.
And, it must be said, much of the evening works remarkably well. However, the success is achieved at the expense of Wilde's marvellous words and epigrams which seem, well, archaic in this context.
Karen Ardiff's highly original Lady Bracknell comes over more snappish than intimidating and is certainly no Gorgon. Neither she nor Gene Rooney's fluttery Miss Prism appears much older than their various charges. However, Simon O'Gorman's gruff yet panicky Jack Worthing and Eithne Woodcock's pert Cecily Cardew contain commendable shades of Wilde's original creations.
Runs until April 7th. Booking at (01) 462 7477