Tim P. Driver is a writer, actor, comedian and director who has been active in the Melbourne theatre scene for some time. Tim directed Madame Bast earlier this year as part of our Double Feature of original Australian work and is now getting stuck right into the world of Oscar Wilde with his all-male version of The Importance of Being Earnest. We talk to Tim about what audiences can expect from this production and what drew him to this particular play.

The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband are obviously very well known, much loved classics. What drew you to these particular scripts and why do you feel they are still relevant today?

Earnest is one of my favourite plays ever. When I first saw the play, I knew immediately that I wanted to do my own version. Once the opportunity presented itself to direct this play, I just knew I had to jump on board. I think classic plays can always be relevant. Even though I think there’s an over dependence on classic texts with a lot of theatre companies, every now and then they can bring clarity to our lives. In particular, with the way we’re playing with gender with these Wilde plays, I think we can really engage in a conversation about gender, gender politics and the performance of gender as it’s occurring right now.

Tell us a bit about your vision for your show, The Importance of Being Earnest?

Because I love the play so much, I always want to remain true to the original, while taking the opportunity to present my own understanding of the text. With Earnest being so much about class and about the superficiality of culture, it can be hard to ground the work. I think recontextualising the play with the all-male cast allows for a better exploration of these ideas.

This production has an all male cast playing the male and female roles in the show. How will you prepare the actors to take on a character of the opposite gender?

Both casts are working together a LOT. By combing the two casts, we allow the actors to model on each other. We’re also doing a tremendous amount of preparation around body and voice to ensure accuracy in the development of these characters.

What is the greatest challenge this show presents to you as a director?

I think it’s making sure that the casts both understand the text and can make it real for themselves, and ensuring that the two plays work together well.

The show is written in a different era to the one we live in today. How are you preparing to get the actors used to working in a different time period?

The play was written in the late 1800s, but we’re setting both Earnest and An Ideal Husband in the 1920s. We’ve been doing lots of research to make sure everything we’re talking about with the casts is period-appropriate. We’ve spent time doing lots of body workshops, voice workshops, and costume planning, which has a tremendous impact on an actors’ preparedness for the roles.

We’ve also spent considerable cash on developing a time machine, and once we find the plutonium resources, we’ll be taking a couple of trips back to the mid 1920s for the first hand experience.

What can audiences expect with this production of The Importance of Being Earnest?

Aggressive nudity.

I think audiences can expect a really enjoyable night out at the theatre, twice! Both these shows work together really well, and should generate some really great conversations about gender, comedy and lovely hats.

In three words, why should audiences see this show?

It’s very good.