The Importance of Being Earnest

Recorded live from the Vaudeville Theatre on 8 October 2015

Oscar Wilde’s much-loved masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the most enduring plays in British theatre. Performed shortly before Wilde fell foul of society’s unbending condemnation, this farcical comedy fizzes with wit as Wilde delights in debunking social pretensions and piercing the hypocrisy and pomposity of the Victorian Era.

Celebrated actor and Poirot star David Suchet plays the formidable Lady Bracknell. The play was broadcast live to cinemas from London’s Vaudeville Theatre on 8 October 2015. Directed by Adrian Noble, (Amadeus, The King’s Speech, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) Wilde’s superb satire on Victorian manners is one of the funniest plays in the English language – the delightful repartee and hilarious piercing of hypocrisy and pomposity will make you laugh out loud. Two bachelor friends, the adorable dandy Algernon Moncrieff (Philip Cumbus, a regular player at Shakespeare’s Globe) and the utterly reliable John Worthing J.P., (Downton Abbey’s Michael Benz) lead double lives to court the attentions of the exquisitely desirable Gwendolyn Fairfax (Emily Barber) and Cecily Cardew (Imogen Doel). The gallants must then grapple with the riotous consequences of their deceptions – and with the formidable Lady Bracknell.

“A magnificent performance…majestically funny.” ~ Michael Billington, The Guardian ★★★★

“David Suchet shines as Lady Bracknell.” ~ Paul Taylor, Daily Telegraph ★★★★

“It’s an ensemble triumph.” ~ Dominic Maxwell, The Times
★★★★

Director ~ Adrian Noble
Set & Costume Designer ~ Peter McKintosh
Lighting Designer ~ Howard Harrison
Music ~ Larry Blank
Sound Designer ~ Gareth Owen
Producers ~ Kim Poster & Nica Burns
Directed for the screen by Ross MacGibbon