The Importance Of Being Earnest
The Importance Of Being Earnest Trailer
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Olly Alexander pose together on stage, dressed in period costumes, with dramatic lighting.
Kitty Hawthorne and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett perform on stage, dressed in period costumes, with dramatic lighting.
Jessica Whitehurst and Kitty Hawthorne in elegant costumes, smiling, on stage with theatrical lighting and set design.
Hugh Dennis, dressed in a formal suit, smiles while holding a script on a theatre stage.
Olly Alexander and Hayley Carmichael perform on stage, dressed in period costumes, with a theatrical backdrop.
Five actors in formal attire pose together, smiling, with a theatre backdrop featuring ornate decorations.
Olly Alexander and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett perform on stage, dressed in period costumes, with a vibrant backdrop.
Shobna Gulati, Jessica Whitehurst, and Hugh Dennis pose together, dressed in period costumes, on stage.
Shobna Gulati and Hugh Dennis pose together, smiling, in formal attire against a theatre backdrop.
Stephen Fry, dressed in formal attire, gestures expressively on stage, surrounded by theatrical set elements.

The Importance Of Being Earnest
Tickets From £78

Venue

Noël Coward Theatre

The National Theatre’s sold-out production of The Importance of Being Earnest is now playing at the Noel Coward Theatre, in a co-production with Sonia Friedman Productions.

Olly Alexander (It’s A Sin) plays Algernon Moncrieff in director Max Webster’s (Donmar’s Macbeth; Life Of Pi) joyful and flamboyant reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s glittering masterpiece, a hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance.

Being sensible can be excessively boring. At least Jack thinks so. While assuming the role of dutiful guardian in the country, he lets loose in town under a false identity.

Meanwhile, his friend Algy takes on a similar facade. Unfortunately, living a double life has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to love. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.

Producers cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular cast member.

Booking Until

10/01/2026

Running Time

2h45, inc. interval

Genre

Comedy

Age & Content

TBC | Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by & sat next to a ticketholder who is at least 18 years old. Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted.

Please Note:

This production contains strong language, suggestive content & smoke & haze | Latecomers may not be admitted until a suitable break but we cannot guarantee admittance into the performance.

Select a Performance

No accessibility performances are currently scheduled for this show.

Book Tickets from £78