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The Importance of Being Earnest Tickets

Olly Alexander & Stephen Fry star in the West End transfer of Wilde's masterpiece

Performance dates

18 September 2025 - 10 January 2026

Run time: 2hrs 45mins

Includes interval

Top Rated Show

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4.8

116 reviews

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The Importance of Being Earnest London tickets

The National Theatre’s sold-out production of The Importance of Being Earnest transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre for a strictly limited run. Starring It’s a Sin’s Olly Alexander and the one and only Stephen Fry, don’t miss this dazzling revival of Wilde’s classic comedy in the heart of the West End.

About The Importance of Being Earnest

Being sensible can be excessively boring - just ask Jack. While he plays the part of a responsible guardian in the countryside, he lives a secret life of indulgence in the city under an assumed name.

His friend Algy is no stranger to deception either. But when both men use aliases to pursue romance, their tangled lies threaten to unravel everything. With mistaken identities, sharp wit, and unexpected twists, this sparkling satire of Victorian society is a timeless comedy of manners and mischief.

It’s worth the applause!

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A sparkling new production” - Daily Mail
  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Effervescent, exuberant, and proudly loud” - Broadway World
  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Oscar Wilde’s glittering masterpiece” The Telegraph
  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wilde would be wild about this production” - Guardian
  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A radical reinvention of a 19th century classic” - Evening Standard
  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Sublimely mischievous” - Time Out

The Importance of Being Earnest cast

  • Algernon Moncrieff - Olly Alexander 
  • Jack Worthing – Nathan Stewart-Jarrett
  • Rev. Canon Chasuble – Hugh Dennis
  • Miss Prism – Shobna Gulati
  • Gwendolen Fairfax – Kitty Hawthorne
  • Cecily Cardew – Jessica Whitehurst
  • Merriman/Lane – Hayley Carmichael
  • Lady Bracknell – Stephen Fry

The Importance of Being Earnest creatives

  • Director - Max Webster
  • Book - Oscar Wilde

Upcoming Performance Times

Saturday25 October 2025
19:00

Performance Months

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Special notes

Please note: Olly Alexander will not be performing on performances from Friday 7 to Thursday 13 November 2025.

Access

Captioned Performance: 18 November at 7pm, 3 January at 2pm, BSL Signed Performance: 22 November at 2pm , 11 December at 7pm. Audio Described Performance:27 November at 7pm

Group Pricing

Special pricing for groups of 10 or moreCheck our group prices and save!

Recent Reviews

4.8
116 reviews

Latest The Importance of Being Earnest News

The Importance of Being Earnest Character GuideStephen Fry to star as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in the West End

News / Features / Casting / New Shows + Transfers

Stephen Fry to star as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in the West End

The National Theatre has confirmed further casting for the West End transfer of its widely praised production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

Already announced in the role of Algernon Moncrieff is Olly Alexander. He’ll now be joined by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Jack Worthing, Hugh Dennis as Rev. Canon Chasuble, Shobna Gulati as Miss Prism, Kitty Hawthorne as Gwendolen Fairfax, Jessica Whitehurst as Cecily Cardew, Hayley Carmichael as Merriman/Lane — and Stephen Fry as Lady Bracknell.

Described by The Times as a “bold and brash Wilde reboot” (★★★★), this riotous reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most famous comedy will play a strictly limited run at the Noël Coward Theatre from 18 September 2025 to 10 January 2026. 

31 Jul, 2025 | By Hay Brunsdon

Vlog: 5 Shows You MUST See This Summer!Review: The Importance Of Being Earnest Soon To Transfer To The West End's VaudevilleMore News

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Opens 18 September 2025

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