Live Comedy
...Earnest?
In a madcap spectacle that promises a completely new performance each night, the Edinburgh Fringe smash-hit where the audience step in for the cast of The Importance of Being Earnest returns for a UK tour of nearly 30 venues. Wilde's much-loved play is delightfully derailed as audience members are asked to step into the spotlight to replace an ever-thinning cast, sparked by the lead actor playing Ernest failing to arrive on that famous cue. With stage whiskey being swapped, off-the-cuff auditions being held and portraits painted aplenty, ...Earnest? incorporates skilled slapstick and expert improv in this quintessentially British farce. Its innovative format aims to provide joy and connect audiences to their inner thespian.
So far, the show has cast almost 2,000 audience members, proving that everyone, no matter their background or experience, has a place in the spotlight. Audience members have shared stories of quitting their jobs to chase acting dreams, local individuals stepping onto the stage for the first time and becoming community stars, and even strangers finding love after being cast and meeting backstage.
2025 dates
19 February: Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage
22 - 23 February: Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
25 - 26 February: Exeter Northcott Theatre
27 Feb - 1 March: Lighthouse Poole
6 - 8 March: MAST Mayflower Studios
10 - 11 March: Darlington Hippodrome
22 - 23 March: Palace Theatre, Southend
27 - 30 March: Forum Theatre, Malvern Theatres
1 April: Hull Truck Theatre
11 - 12 April: Princess Theatre, Torquay
16 April: The Grand Theatre & Opera House Leeds
23 - 24 April: Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
28 - 30 April: Loughborough Town Hall
2 May: New Victoria Theatre, Woking
7 - 8 May: Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle
9 - 10 May: King's Theatre, Glasgow
12 - 13 May: Lyceum Theatre, Crewe
17 May: The Alexandra, Birmingham
20 - 21 May: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
22 - 23 May: Wycombe Swan Theatre, High Wycombe
24 - 25 May: Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
28 - 29 May: Theatre Royal Brighton
31 May: The Hexagon, Reading
4 - 5 June: Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
6 - 7 June: Mercury Theatre, Colchester
9 June: Royal & Derngate, Northampton
10 June: Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
12 - 14 June: Richmond Theatre, London
Credits
| Judith Amsenga | Eleanor |
| Ashley Cavender | George |
| Guido Garcia Lueches | Terry |
| Josh Haberfield | Simon Slough |
| Ben Mann | Josh |
| Trynity Silk | Jennifer |
| Rhys Tees | Graham |
| Joshua King | Writer |
| Simon Paris | Writer |
| Simon Paris | Director |
| Simon Paris | Producer |
| Trynity Silk | Production Designer |
| Libby Watson | Costume Designer |
| Catja Hamilton | Lighting Designer |
| Max Pappenheim | Sound Designer |
Press
- 21st November: Improv show '...Earnest?' announces UK tour