The National Theatre has revealed further casting for its West End transfer of The Importance of Being Earnest, which opens at the Noël Coward Theatre on 18 September 2025.
Joining Olly Alexander as Algernon Moncrieff are 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.
This “bold and brash Wilde reboot” (★★★★ The Times) will run for a limited season until 10 January 2026, in a co-production with Sonia Friedman Productions.
Directed by Max Webster, this “sparkling new production” (★★★★★ Daily Mail) is a flamboyant reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy.
Max Webster said:
“Oscar Wilde was a master of elegance, rebellion, and razor-sharp wit. With this cast – led by the audacious brilliance of Olly Alexander, the hugely captivating Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and the legendary Stephen Fry as Lady Bracknell – we’re embracing the play’s subversive heart in a way that feels utterly now. I’d like to think Wilde would be delighted – and perhaps even a little scandalised – by this bold, joyful take on his most iconic comedy.”
Stephen Fry added:
“I was delighted to be asked by Max Webster to join his jubilant National Theatre production and play the formidable Lady Bracknell in the West End. Oscar Wilde has been a hugely important figure in my life and career and The Importance of Being Earnest is a play that changed my life when I first saw it aged 10. It made me understand what language can do and absolutely transported me. Wilde is a beacon to people who still believe in open thinking and adventuring with the mind and spirit.”
The production explores themes of identity and deception, as two bachelors create alter egos to escape societal expectations and pursue love.
Following a sold-out run at the National Theatre and a global cinema release via National Theatre Live, the production now brings its “Wilde party of irresistible anarchic charm” (★★★★ The Guardian) to the West End.
The creative team includes Rae Smith (set and costume design), Jon Clark (lighting), Nicola T. Chang (sound), Carrie-Anne Ingrouille (movement), DJ Walde (composer), and Alastair Coomer CDG (casting). Associate creatives and advisors include Aaliyah McKay, Tim Blazdell, Johanna Coe, Hector Murray, Chris Reid, Joyce Henderson, Ingrid Mackinnon, and Hazel Holder.
Over 20,000 tickets are available for under £30, making this exuberant production accessible to a wide audience.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
