…Earnest? Tickets – A New Comedy Sensation | West End Theatre (2024)

About ...Earnest?

Book Your Tickets for …Earnest? – A New Comedy Sensation!

Following its smash-hit success at the Edinburgh Fringe and rave reviews, …Earnest? is touring the UK ahead of an eagerly awaited West End run. Don’t miss this utterly unique, laugh-out-loud comedy experience that puts an outrageous twist on Oscar Wilde’s beloved play, The Importance of Being Earnest.

When the lead actor in a traditional staging of Oscar Wilde’s classic goes missing, a desperate director pulls an audience member into the spotlight. Chaos ensues with impromptu improvisation, unexpected mishaps, and audience members stepping in to save the show. Each performance is wildly unpredictable — can this unconventional Earnest still make it to its grand finale?

Book your tickets now and join the madness — because with …Earnest?, anything can happen, and it usually does!

Why You’ll Love It

If you’re a fan of The Play That Goes Wrong or Noises Off, …Earnest? is your next must-see theatre show! Every performance delivers:

• Unpredictable Comedy: The script gets flipped, twisted, and rewritten every night, guaranteeing a fresh and hilarious experience each time.
• Audience Involvement: From the stalls to the stage, you might just become the star of the show!
• Unstoppable Energy: With outrageous mishaps and wild improvisation, this production is equal parts chaotic and charming.

About the source material: The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a timeless comedic masterpiece, first performed in 1895. A sharp satire of Victorian society, the play brims with wit, mistaken identities, and absurd romantic entanglements. Celebrated for its clever dialogue and hilarious plot twists, it remains one of the most beloved and frequently performed works in the history of theatre.

The play follows two bachelors, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who create fictitious personas—“Ernest”—to escape social obligations and win the hearts of their love interests, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. However, their deceptions lead to a series of comedic misunderstandings and revelations, including surprising twists about Jack’s true identity.

Classic lines from The Importance of Being Earnest

• “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
  – Algernon Moncrieff reflecting on the complexities of life and human relationships.
• “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.”
  – Gwendolen Fairfax on the Victorian obsession with appearances.
• “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
  – Lady Bracknell delivering one of the play’s most iconic, cutting remarks.
• “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”
  – Gwendolen, highlighting Wilde’s knack for humorous self-absorption.
• “I can resist everything except temptation.”
  – Algernon, exemplifying Wilde’s penchant for paradoxical wit.
• “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.”
  – Algernon, offering a mix of humor and critique of gender norms.
• “I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays.”
  – Jack Worthing, lamenting the pretense of intelligence in society.
• “A handbag?”
  – Lady Bracknell’s incredulous response to Jack’s revelation about his origins, a line that has become legendary for its delivery.

Photos

Frequently Asked Questions