Widely considered one of the funniest plays in English, Wilde’s much loved masterpiece The Importance Of Being Earnest throws love, logic and language into the air to make one of theatre’s most dazzling firework displays.

“It is very romantic to be in love. The very essence of romance is uncertainty.” The Importance Of Being Earnest sees Jack, Algy, Gwendolyn and Cecily discover how unsmooth runs the course of true love, while Lady Bracknell keeps a baleful eye on the mayhem of manners.

Presenting a new take on Wilde’s comic masterpiece, director Michael Fentiman brings fresh vitality and brilliance to one of the stage’s most exquisitely crafted comedies of all time, offering 2 hours of pure comic bliss.

The Importance Of Being Earnest stars Olivier Award winner Sophie Thompson in the role of the infamous matriarch Lady Bracknell. The production also stars Fiona Button (The Split, BBC) as Cecily Cardew, Pippa Nixon (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RSC) as Gwendolyn Fairfax, Stella Gonet (Handbagged, West End) as Miss Prism and Jeremy Swift (Downton Abbey, ITV) in the role of Reverend Chasuble.

Most recently on stage in Guys and Dolls (Chichester), Thompson is well-known for her film roles, including Four Weddings And A Funeral, Emma, and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Sophie has achieved the unique distinction of achieving five Olivier nominations, taking starring roles in both EastEnders (BBC) and Coronation Street (ITV), and triumphing as the winner of Celebrity Masterchef (BBC One).

The Importance Of Being Earnest is the final instalment of Classic Spring’s acclaimed celebratory Oscar Wilde season at the Vaudeville. Launched with a flourish, Classic Springhave cast new light on Wilde’s ground-breaking work, showing how more than a century on, he still strikes to the heart of social scandal.

Looking for a laugh in the capital city? Learn more about London comedies.