One of the things that Reading is famous for is Oscar Wilde. The witty playwright wrote a wealth of material that resonates today including The Importance of Being Earnest.
Next year, a comedy play based on this work is coming to The Hexagon, following a hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and ahead of a West End stint.
You might think you know this chaotic story of love, mistaken identity and double-lives, but you have never seen it like this before. Filled with wicked Wildean wit and bursting with Bunburying, join us for a hilarious and unpredictable twist on the world’s favourite comedy classic.
…Earnest? follows a group as they prepare for their version of the play.
Everything is going to plan.
Well, it was.
The lead actor fails to arrive, and is replaced at the last minute by a member of the audience.
And yes, that is what happens.
Someone will be plucked from the aisles to join the cast and save the day.
After all, the show must go on, mustn’t it?
What follows is a madcap medley of impromptu games and spontaneous solutions as the desperate director does his best to keep this faithful production going.
But with stage whiskey being swapped, off-the-cuff auditions held and muffins eaten (no matter what state they’re in), there’s just no telling what this unique version of The Importance of Being Earnest is going to throw up.
Especially when more audience members are drafted in to replace an ever-thinning cast…
With the script ripped up and rewritten, can the show reach its fabulous finale, just as Oscar Wilde intended?
This one-of-a-kind comedy sensation is completely different, completely chaotic, and completely Wilde every single night.
Organisers say the show is guaranteed to have audiences laughing whether they are sitting in the audience… or performing on stage.
…Earnest? is perfect for fans of The Play That Goes Wrong and Noises Off!
For more on the play, log on to: interactiveearnest.co.uk
The show is to be performed at The Hexagon in Reading on Saturday, May 31, from 7.30pm.
Tickets go on sale from Friday, November 22, from 10am. They cost £23, £28, or £33, and the show is suitable for ages 12 upwards.
Reading Arts members can enjoy priority booking for the show from 10am on Thursday, November 21.
For more details, or to book, call the Reading Arts box office on 0118 960 6060, or log on to: https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/earnest
How do you become a Reading Arts member?
Reading Arts memberships are for arts lovers, and the price includes exclusive events, discounts on selected tickets, and priority booking.
For shows that have a booking fee, this is included in the membership.
And when at The hexagon and South Street, members can enjoy a 10% discount in bars and cafes.
There are two tiers: Silver and Gold, with different incentives available.
Full details are available on the whatsonreading.com website: https://whatsonreading.com/ramembership
What is The Importance of Being Earnest?
The comedy of errors, by Oscar Wilde, is known as a drawing-room play.
First performed in 1895, the farce tells the story of two men who want to lead double lives to evade unwanted social obligations while also wooing two women.
They both adopt the name Earnest and, well, comedy mishaps ensue, not least when they come up against Lady Bracknell.
It was the last comedy he wrote as it marked the beginning of the feud with The Marquess of Queensberry that led to him being jailed for his sexuality, and also saw the curtain brought down prematurely on the show.
Thankfully, it has been revived repeatedly, with the last film version released in 2002. This starred Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Wilkinson and Dame Judi Dench.
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