The Importance of Being Earnest
By Oscar Wilde
Directed by Mark Thomson
I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read
Oscar Wilde's classic comedy of manners and mores has delighted audiences since it was first staged in 1895. Ernest loves Gwendolyn. Cecily loves Ernest. What could possibly go wrong? Double lives and double standards abound in this masterpiece of satirical wisdom.
Town and country lives become horribly entangled when Algernon’s love-struck friend Jack escapes to the country as his alter-ego Ernest. Identities are assumed at a rate of knots as each confusion leads inexorably to another. Even monstrous Lady Bracknell has secrets to hide concerning a rather celebrated handbag…
Can it all end happily? Will Algernon’s invalid friend Bunbury throw the metaphorical cat among the exceedingly well-mannered pigeons? Join our crack ensemble cast to find out for yourself the vital importance of being earnest!
Cast and Credits
The cast of The Importance of Being Earnest
Mr John Worthing - Ben Deery
Miss Cecily Cardew - Kirsty Mackay
Mr Algernon Moncrieff - Will Featherstone
Hon. Miss Gwendolen Fairfax - Melody Grove
Miss Laetitia Prism - Cara Kelly
Lady Bracknell - Alexandra Mathie
Reverend Canon Frederick Chasuble - Sean Murray
Lane/Merriman - Steve McNicoll
Mr Gribsby - Mark McDonnell
The creative team of The Importance of Being Earnest
Director - Mark Thomson
Designer - Neil Murray
LX Designer - Johanna Town
Sound Designer/Composer - Philip Pinsky
Dialect Coach - Ros Steen
Movement Director - Malcolm Shields
Video
Watch our trailer for the show
Dates, Times & Prices
This production has now ended
Audience Feedback
Audience feedback for this production
If you would like to submit your own review of this production, please use the form on this page.
"It was great, we had fantastic seats and the show was so funny"
Rani on BlogSpot
"6/5 for 'importance of being earnest'. lady bracknell and algie stole the show"
@azuire on Twitter
"Absolutely brilliant. First-class acting and first-class comedy"
Audience review by M Taylor
"Wildly funny"
@soapyfrogs on Twitter
"Didn't stop laughing the whole way through! 5 stars!"
@helloharryy on Twitter
"truly hilarious"
@OwenGriffiths on Twitter
"Merci, merci et encore merci!"
@frenchedinburgh on Twitter
"an effervescent delight. Pacey, perky and fun"
@cmfwood on Twitter
"Hear perfection on Stage!"
Audience Review by Alistair Rutherford
"Have been quoting to self all day. Brill production!"
@bookshop_betty on Twitter
"To all those in Scotland who appreciate exceptional theatre, make sure you see The Importance Of Being Earnest... Delightful!"
@awesome_welles on Twitter
"one of, if not THE, best production I have ever seen at the Lyceum"
Audience review by Sandi Bomphray
"Superb"
Audience review by Metal Mickey
"A great night's entertainment indeed"
Audience review by Harry Kielty
"one of the best productions I've seen at the Lyceum"
Audience review by Margaret Sinclair
"What the hell is a Bunberry? Who cares? This was a great show."
Audience review by Alasdair Hugh Macinnes
"Absolutely first class... One of the most enjoyable evenings I've had in the theatre for a long-time"
Audience Review by Kirstine Oswald
"an enjoyable comic treat from the first cucumber sandwich to the last crumb of muffin"
Audience Review by Keith D
Press Coverage
Reviews
"fresh, sparkling... the entire cast is quite superb"
Edinburgh Guide ★★★★★
"I absolutely loved this play and the atmosphere of the whole evening"
Youth Review ★★★★★
"this ensemble seems tailor-made for Wilde’s fruity farce"
The List ★★★★
"It's not every day you get to see a new Oscar Wilde comedy."
The Guardian ★★★★
"the production [is] something of a rarity - a genuine must-see for fans of Wilde's acerbic wit"
Evening News ★★★★
"one of the most vivid renderings of Wide’s play for some years... a gloriously superficial piece of serious fun"
The Herald ★★★★
"a unique and hugely enjoyable delight"
Edinburgh Spotlight ★★★★
"A most entertaining and visually stunning production"
The Public Reviews ★★★★
"Mark Thomson’s elegant and altogether enjoyable new production" (Please note: behind paywall)
The Times ★★★★
"delightfully funny... the cast of this production excel... just the ticket for this time of year... Don’t miss it"
Edinburgh Theatre Review
"gloriously and uproariously funny... an evening of sheer theatrical joy"
Lothian Life