Actor Mark Beer spearheading 'integrated' The Importance of Being Earnest

Actor Mark Beer is directing and starring in what he believes to be the first professional production of The Importance of Being Earnest in the UK that integrates a cast of disabled and non-disabled actors. 

Beer - who was one of the UK’s first disabled children’s TV presenters - launched a company called Dramaiocht Productions in August last year with the aim of creating opportunities for marginalised performers. 

Dramaiocht Productions will perform The Importance of Being Earnest at Chelsea Theatre in London from September 19 to 30. 

Beer said that it was very rare for smaller theatre companies to perform shows with an integrated cast due to a lack of funding and a lack of accessible fringe theatres. 

He argued that integrated casts of disabled an non-disabled actors "has to be the way forward" in theatre, stating: "I know other companies are doing it stage-by-stage, but they’re often bigger companies with bigger budgets and small independent companies can’t do it very easily. That’s why I set up the company in 2020 to deliberately focus on that issue.

"This is the first time I’ve done a production with a larger cast, and I’ve deliberately chosen people with disabilities and without disabilities to bring the production to life, and also I’ve chosen people with invisible disabilities to prove again that disability isn’t always obvious by the eye. Everybody in life is different, including everybody with a disability. Nobody can be put in the same box."

Beer added: "I believe that the main focus of any director or casting director should be about seeing someone’s ability beyond what they look like, the main focus should be that they’re able to play the role convincingly or not."

The actor and director said Chelsea Theatre was the only fringe venue in London he knew of that is wheelchair accessible and "doesn’t cost an arm and a leg". 

The Importance of Being Earnest features Beer in the role of Lady Bracknell, with Beer stating that he believed he was the first disabled actor to play this role in a professional production. 

Other casting includes Jack Reilly as Algernon "Algy" Moncrieff, Connor Charlesworth as John "Jack" Worthing/ Earnest, Helen Walling-Richards as Miss Prism, Kat Dulfer as Gwendolen Fairfax, Matt Kelly as Dr Chasuble and Harrison Tsantakis as Lane and Merriman.

Beer previously starred in a non-professional smaller charity run of The Importance of Being Earnest in the Cotswolds last year.