The Importance Of Being Earnest

Tue 8th - Sat 12th Sept

By Oscar Wilde

Presented by OVO

Adapted and Directed by Adam Nichols

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple”

Especially when everyone’s pretending to be Ernest…

OVO’s sparkling new production transports Oscar Wilde’s comic masterpiece to the roaring 1920s, a world overflowing with style, glitz, and glamour.

Featuring a talented cast of actor-musicians, a live on-stage band seamlessly threads jazz-styled contemporary chart hits (think RAYE, Madonna, Lizzo and Eminem) through Wilde’s hilarious, razor-sharp dialogue.

Join Jack, Algy, Gwendolen and Cecily as engagements multiply, handbags are examined and a single name turns society upside-down. This Earnest is witty, romantic and gloriously playful.

In this vibrant 1920s setting, the female characters take the centre stage. Powered by agency and confidence, they are brought to life with refreshing strength. The traditional dynamics of the text shift delightfully, with relationships pioneered as much by female courtship as male.

In the spirit of Wilde’s own description, it is a production "exquisitely trivial, searchingly serious," delivered here with enormous wit, playfulness, and heart.

Combining drama, live music, and fabulous choreography, this is a brilliant hybrid of theatre that makes for a perfect summer evening under the stars in the spectacular setting of the Minack.

Key Information

Additional Information

All bookings will incur a non-refundable £1.75 fee per transaction across all of our booking channels (website, phone and in-person bookings at the Box Office). This is applied per booking, not per ticket.