'The Importance of Being Earnest' with Ncuti Gatwa announces further casting

Sharon D Clarke (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Doctor Who) will star as Lady Bracknell, while Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who, Sex Education) will play Algernon Moncrieff.

Further casting has been set for a new production of Oscar Wilde’s comedy The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre in London. The play runs at the venue's Lyttelton Theatre from 20 November—25 January, 2025.

Joining the previously announced Sharon D Clarke (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Doctor Who) as Lady Bracknell and Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who, Sex Education) as Algernon Moncrieff, are Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́ (Rain Dogs, Blues for an Alabama Sky) as Gwendolen Fairfax and Eliza Scanlen (Little Women, Sharp Objects) as Cecily Cardew.

The rest of the cast includes Richard Cant (Stan & Ollie, Mary Queen of Scots) as Reverend Canon Chasuble, Amanda Lawrence (Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, Angels in America) as Miss Prism, and Hugh Skinner (W1A, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) as Jack Worthing.

Directed by Max Webster, who makes his National Theatre debut, the show's creative team includes set and costume design by Rae Smith, lighting design by Jon Clark, sound design by Nicola T Chang, composition by DJ Walde, and movement direction by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille.

The Importance of Being Earnest tells the story of two men, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who both pretend to be a fictional man named Ernest, leading them both to fall in love and encounter various issues as a result of their choices.

Check back for The Importance of Being Earnest tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́, Ncuti Gatwa, and Sharon D Clarke. (Photos by National Theatre, Wolf Marloh, and Darren Bell)