The Importance of Being Oscar

About the show

“Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.”
“A beautiful production – intimate and utterly compelling” Gyles Brandreth

Oscar Wilde became an icon after his death.

But the life he lived was far more dramatic than anything he ever wrote.

This funny and fiercely moving show, features a tour de force central performance from Alastair Whatley, hailed as ★★★★★ “truly magnificent…phenomenal to watch” (Theatre and Tonic).

Oscar, his rise and fall, his glory and his devastation, is conjured back to life through his own words and those of his fiercest champion, the fabled Irish writer Micheál Mac Liammóir.

We meet the man who lived and loved without compromise, whilst creating some of the most famous – and famously funny – plays still adored by millions today.

Experience Oscar as you’ve never seen him before – real, raw, defiant.

This legendary play helped redefine our attitudes and appreciation of a man whose life became his work of art and is returning for a limited UK tour ahead of a London run.

Directed by Michael Fentiman (Amelie, Jekyll & Hyde, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) and produced by the Olivier nominated Original Theatre (Being Mr Wickham, The Interview, Birdsong).

Key details