“I can resist everything except temptation,” wrote Oscar Wilde – and theatre-goers will find it hard to resist the temptation of The Importance of Being Earnest when it transfers to London’s West End this autumn.
Following a sold-out and much-praised run at the National Theatre, Max Webster’s exuberant new production of Wilde’s masterpiece opens at the Noël Coward Theatre from 18 September 2025 to 10 January 2026. A co-production with Sonia Friedman Productions, it has been hailed as a “bold and brash Wilde reboot” (The Times) and a “sparkling new production” (Daily Mail).
At its centre is a stellar cast. Olly Alexander takes on the role of the irrepressible Algernon Moncrieff, alongside Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as the seemingly respectable Jack Worthing. Hugh Dennis, Shobna Gulati, Kitty Hawthorne, Jessica Whitehurst and Stephen Fry (as Lady Bracknell, naturally) complete a line-up brimming with comic talent.
First staged in 1895, Wilde’s play of deception, romance and cucumber sandwiches still fizzes with anarchic energy. Jack and Algy’s double lives may allow them to escape the tedium of duty, but their elaborate fabrications threaten to unravel when love – and Lady Bracknell – intervenes.
This reimagining brings Wilde’s wit to life with a dash of flamboyance, aided by Rae Smith’s design, Jon Clark’s lighting, Nicola T. Chang’s sound, and D.J. Walde’s original compositions. The result, according to The Guardian, is “a Wilde party of irresistible anarchic charm.”
Performances run Monday to Saturday at 7pm, with 2pm matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets start from £25 and can be booked online at delfontmackintosh.co.uk or by calling 0344 482 5151.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Dates: 18 September 2025 – 10 January 2026
Venue: Noël Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4AU
Performances: Monday – Saturday, 7pm; Matinees Thursday & Saturday, 2pm
Tickets: From £25
Booking: delfontmackintosh.co.uk or 0344 482 5151
Main image: Kitty Hawthorne, Jessica Whitehurst and Stephen Fry in rehearsals © Marc Brenner