Original Theatre and Reading Rep Theatre will bring Micheál Mac Liammóir’s The Importance of Being Oscar to Park Theatre this summer, running from 22 July to 22 August 2026.
Directed by Michael Fentiman, the production stars Original Theatre’s Artistic Director Alastair Whatley, reprising his acclaimed performance following last year’s sell‑out run at Jermyn Street Theatre.
The play offers a vivid portrait of Oscar Wilde, tracing his extraordinary life from fame and glamour to downfall and exile. It draws on Wilde’s letters and writings, many of which remained unpublished for decades, and features excerpts from An Ideal Husband, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Ballad of Reading Gaol.
Written and originally performed by Micheál Mac Liammóir, the show itself has a remarkable legacy. Mac Liammóir performed it more than 600 times worldwide between 1960 and 1976, and his own life mirrored Wilde’s in its theatricality, reinvention and creative spirit.
The London run marks Whatley’s continued return to the stage, following notable early career performances in Birdsong, Three Men in a Boat, Dancing at Lughnasa and the New York transfer of Invincible.
Set and costume design are by Madeleine Girling, with composition and sound design by Barnaby Race.
Ahead of the Park Theatre dates, the production will tour the UK this spring and summer, with stops including New Brighton, Guildford, Wakefield, Ipswich, Eastbourne, Winchester, Malvern and Darlington.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
