Original Theatre and Reading Rep Theatre will take The Importance of Being Oscar on a UK tour in spring and summer 2026.
Following a sold‑out London run in 2025, Micheál Mac Liammóir’s celebrated play will return under the direction of Michael Fentiman and will once again star Original Theatre’s Artistic Director, Alastair Whatley.
The production will visit Floral Pavilion, New Brighton (30 April to 2 May), The Theatre Chipping Norton (12 to 13 May), Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford (15 to 16 May), Newbury Corn Exchange (2 to 3 June), Lichfield Garrick Theatre (4 to 5 June), Theatre Royal Wakefield (9 to 10 June), New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (12 to 13 June), Malvern Theatres (1 to 3 July) and Darlington Hippodrome (14 to 16 July). Additional dates will be announced.
The play charts Oscar Wilde’s extraordinary life, exploring his rise to fame, his romantic entanglements and the downfall that ultimately led to his imprisonment. It features excerpts from some of Wilde’s best‑known works including An Ideal Husband, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Ballad of Reading Gaol.
Alastair Whatley’s return to the stage in the 2024 Reading Rep and Jermyn Street Theatre runs marked his first appearance since 2017, following notable roles in productions such as Birdsong, The Importance of Being Earnest, Three Men in a Boat, See How They Run, Twelfth Night, Vincent in Brixton, Dancing at Lughnasa and Henry V.
Director Michael Fentiman said: “I am delighted Original Theatre will be taking our production of The Importance of Being Oscar on tour. Alastair is such a delight in this piece and it’s wonderful more people are going to get the chance to see him in it. It’s going to be a real pleasure to delve into the shadows of Oscar’s genius and tragic history, once more.”
The creative team includes set and costume designer Madeleine Girling, lighting designer Chris Davey and composer and sound designer Barnaby Race.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
