SENIOR PRODUCTION
23-24th April, 2015
Synopsis
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a farcical comedy by Oscar Wilde set in Victorian England. First performed on 14th February, 1895 at the St. James’s Theatre in London, the play closed only after 86 performances due to Wilde's imprisonment for "gross indecency", a crime used to prosecute male homosexuals in the United Kingdom at the time. The play is nonetheless considered by many to be Wilde’s most enduring work.
The play follows the story of two gentlemen, John Worthing, and his friend and confidant, Algernon Moncreiff. The former invents a fictitious younger brother called “Ernest” in order to leave the country and travel to town whenever he pleases, while the latter invents a fictitious invalid friend called “Bunbury” in order to leave town and travel to the country whenever he pleases.
Throughout the play, Wilde cleverly plays on every phrase, every line, every word and thus trivialises and satirises subjects such as marriage and Victorian morals.
Act List
Act 1:
In the morning-room in Algernon’s flat in Half Moon Street
Act 2:
In the garden at the Manor House
Act 3:
In the morning-room at the Manor House
The Characters
The Cast and Crew
with special thanks to the Marketing Team & the Photography Team
