Petra Kalive's Gender-Bending 'Earnest' Wows Adelaide

State Theatre Company South Australia's production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Petra Kalive, opened at the Dunstan Playhouse in Adelaide. The production employs gender reversal not as a gimmick but as a lens to highlight Wilde's queer subtext. The cast includes Teddy Dunn as Jack, Anna Lindner as Algernon, Pia Gillings as Cecily, Connor Pullinger as Gwendolen, and Glenda Linscott as Lady Bracknell. Set design by Kathryn Sproul features a revolving stage and a blend of period and contemporary costumes. Original songs by Geoffrey Crowther and Carla Lippis, who also performs as butlers, accompany scene changes. The production runs until 30 May at the Adelaide Festival Centre.