The Importance of Being Earnest
By Oscar Wilde

Booking and details
National Theatre Live screening
The Importance of Being Earnest will be in cinemas from 20 February 2025 – tickets on sale now.
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A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
Being sensible can be excessively boring. At least Jack thinks so.
While assuming the role of dutiful guardian in the country, he lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy takes on a similar facade.
Unfortunately, living a double life has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to love. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.
Max Webster (Donmar’s Macbeth; Life of Pi) directs a joyful and flamboyant reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy. Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Doctor Who) is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) and Hugh Skinner (W1A; Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) in this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance.
Suitability
Please note: This production contains strong language.
Supporters
This production is supported by the Huo Family Foundation.
Video
Cast
Artistic team
Director
Max Webster
Set and Costume Designer
Rae Smith
Lighting Designer
Jon Clark
Sound Designer
Nicola T. Chang
Movement Director
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille
Composer
DJ Walde
Physical Comedy Advisor
Joyce Henderson
Intimacy Coordinator
Ingrid Mackinnon
Casting Director
Alastair Coomer CDG
Casting Director
Chloe Blake
Dialect Coach
Hazel Holder
Voice Coach
Shereen Ibrahim
Associate Set Designer
Isabel Muñoz-Newsome
Associate Costume Designer
Petros Kourtellaris
Associate Sound Designer
Christopher Reid
Associate Wigs, Hair and Make-up Designer
Adele Brandman
Staff Director
Tanuja Amarasuriya
Ticket prices
Monday – Saturday evenings and matinees:
£25, £49, £66, £86, £110
Previews 21 – 25 November:
£20, £35, £49, £64, £79
For concessions and discounts, see Ways to save
Please note the 6.30pm start time on the following Thursday performances: 12 Dec, 19 Dec, 9 Jan and 16 Jan.
Visit our Ticketing FAQs for information on how to book, ticket exchanges and more.
Prices may change according to demand
Assisted performances
Captioned
BSL Interpreted
Audio described
No Chilled performance available.
Dementia-friendly
No Relaxed performance available.
The interpreter for the BSL performance will be announced closer to the performance date.
Audio-described performances are preceded by a Touch Tour, 90 minutes before the performance start time. Call the Access line on 020 7452 3961 to book Touch Tours.
Audio description by Tony McBride and Timna Fibert.
We have an allocation of tickets held for members of our Access scheme and if any of the assisted performances above are shown as “Sold Out”, tickets may still be available: Please log in to your account to view all available tickets, or call Box Office on 020 7452 3961
Smart caption glasses
Are planned to be available for performances of The Importance of Being Earnest from 7.30pm, Thursday 5 December.
Bookshop
Visit the Bookshop website for a wide range of playtexts, gifts and prints of past production posters.