by OSCAR WILDE

Produced by MADELEINE GAIR

Performed in January 2002

The Importance of Being Earnest is a timeless comedy of manners which remains Oscar Wilde's best loved play.

Jack Worthing, an eligible young man, arrives at the London flat of his friend Algernon Moncreiff with the express purpose of proposing to Gwendolen Fairfax. While there he lets slip to Algy that he has an unattached neice, Cecily Cardew, living at his estate in the country. Algy secretly follows Jack on his return to find out more.

Unfortunately for Jack, standing between him and his beloved is her redoubtable mother, Lady Bracknell, who absolutely refuses to give Gwendolen her consent to the marriage.  And unfortunately for Algy, his path to happiness is blocked by none other than his friend Jack, who as Cecily's guardian takes a similarly hard line on the matter.

Will either of our heroes find true love with the women they adore?  The story unfolds with deceptions and misunderstandings aplenty - as well as sublime comedy.   As Jack says, "it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth."

The Importance of Being Earnest was first performed by the Valley Players back in 1976, so this new production was eagerly anticipated.  Two of the 1976 cast, Aline Blight and Jim Leslie, appeared in the new production, with Jim playing the same role again, that of Algy's manservant, Lane.

The Importance of Being Earnest proved to be one of our best received productions of recent years.

Stage Manager RALPH MAUGHAN ▪ Sound/Lighting Operator CRAIG BLACK

Set Design RALPH MAUGHAN and EDDIE MILLER

Lighting Design IAN WOODLEY ▪ Prompt ED CRUTCHLEY

House Manager DAVE HINDMARSH

Properties and Set Dressing MARIAN ROBERTS

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