Three months before the legendary Oscar Wilde was convicted of homosexuality at his notorious third trial, the first ever performance of his last and most perfect play, The Importance of Being Earnest, took place in London in 1895. Oscar Wilde, a brilliant writer, editor, lecturer, and one of the wittiest men who ever lived, is the author of many clever English plays that are still quoted today.

Set against the elegant, aesthetically pleasing background of high society England, The Importance of Being Earnest is a hilarious story of deception, lies, and laughter. The protagonist, Jack Worthing, falls in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, but her mother, Lady Bracknell, will not allow them to marry, because of Jack Worthing’s mysterious heritage. Whenever Jack wants to leave his dull country life behind, he makes visits to the city, posing as his fictitious brother, Earnest. Indeed, if she didn’t think he was called Earnest, Gwendolen would not be so in love with him. While Jack is with Gwendolen, Jack’s friend, Algernon Moncrief, pretends to be Jack’s non-existent brother, Earnest, in the hope of meeting Jack’s pretty young ward, Cecily Cardew. Jack comes home to the country, shocked to see Algernon posing as his brother. When Jack’s love, Gwendolen, comes up to visit him, he realizes that both he and Algernon are using the same name. The situation gets even more complicated when Lady Bracknell arrives, but eventually it is all sorted out with one hilarious twist after another.