The Importance of Being Earnest - Updates & News

Oscar Wilde’s masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest - a riotous satire of Victorian manners, packed with razor-sharp dialogue, tangled romances, and plenty of mistaken identities - gets a fresh take at the Lyric Theatre Belfast from 31 May - 06 July. Directed by Jimmy Fay, this production promises to bring an original, energetic twist, while remaining faithful to Wilde’s classic brilliance.

This vibrant new production brings Wilde’s iconic characters, Jack (Adam Gillian), Algernon (Conor O'Donnell), Gwendolen (Meghan Tyler), Cecily (Calla Hughes Nic Aiodh), Miss Prism (Jo Donnelly), Rev Canon Chasuble (Marty Maguire), Merriman/Lane (Neil Keery), and the unforgettable Lady Bracknell (Allison Harding), to life on the Lyric’s Main Stage.

Follow the mischievous Jack and Algernon as they navigate secret identities, meddling aunts, and scandalously misplaced handbags, all in the pursuit of love and social standing. But as their carefully crafted lies unravel, chaos reign, leading to revelations as uproarious as they are unexpected.

The famous Irish playwright Oscar Wilde left an indelible mark on literature and theatre with his razor-sharp dialogue, flamboyant style, and fearless intellect. As we commemorate Wilde’s remarkable legacy, in the 125th anniversary year of his passing, The Importance of Being Earnest serves as both a celebration of his genius and a reminder of the enduring power of laughter, love, and language.

Director of The Importance of Being Earnest, Jimmy Fay, said:

“Oscar Wilde’s comedy is one of the most vibrant and sneakily subversive in the English language. The fact that this evergreen classic of English comedy was written by a Dubliner, educated at Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, and accepted as a farce by the British ruling class is one of Wilde’s most audacious achievements. “The future is what artists are” Wilde once stated, and while more recent comedy plays have wilted and dated, The Importance of Being Earnest still blooms in audiences’ hearts, not only as a comedy of manners but also as a haunting prediction of our ongoing obsessions with celebrities, glamour, pleasure and self-destruction. I am delighted the Lyric is producing Earnest again with this joyous cast of brilliant actors, designers and crew.”

Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland commented: 

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to support the Lyric Theatre and this classic production of The Importance of Being Earnest, one of many terrific shows on at the theatre this spring and summer. 

With such a talented cast led by director Jimmy Fay, this production promises to be unmissable, and I would encourage everyone to go along and enjoy!"

" Hilarious " ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Arts Review

" Riot of the Senses " ★ ★ ★ ★ The Stage