30 September 2025
Newsdesk
Production images have been released for the West End transfer of the National Theatre’s critically acclaimed revival of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest. This "sparkling new production" (????? Daily Mail) is now running for a strictly limited season at the Noël Coward Theatre until January 10, 2026, in a co-production with Sonia Friedman Productions.
Star-Studded Cast and Creative Team
Directed by Max Webster (Life of Pi, Henry V), this “bold and brash Wilde reboot” (???? The Times) features a stellar cast led by Olly Alexander as the witty Algernon Moncrieff and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Jack Worthing.
Joining them are comedy legend Stephen Fry as the formidable Lady Bracknell, Hugh Dennis as Rev. Canon Chasuble, and Shobna Gulati as Miss Prism. The cast also includes Kitty Hawthorne, Jessica Whitehurst, and Hayley Carmichael, among others.
A Joyful, Anarchic Reimagining
Webster’s production has been widely praised as a “joyful and flamboyant reimagining” of the classic tale of assumed identities. The plot follows Jack and Algy as they maintain elaborate facades—Jack in the country as a dutiful guardian, and Algy in town under a false name. Unfortunately, their double lives become dangerously complicated when they both try to impress two eligible ladies, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, leading to a tangle of lies they must carefully navigate.
The exuberant staging is brought to life by a world-class creative team, including set and costume designer Rae Smith and lighting designer Jon Clark.
Following its sold-out run at the National Theatre and subsequent broadcast through National Theatre Live, over 165,000 people in the UK have already experienced this "irresistible anarchic charm" (???? The Guardian). Tickets for the West End transfer start from £25.
Photo credit: Marc Brenner
