Oscar Wilde

National Theatre's The Importance Of Being Earnest reveals further cast

The National Theatre has unveiled further casting for a new production of Oscar Wilde's comedy, The Importance Of Being Earnest, set to grace the Lyttelton Theatre from 20th November 2024 to 25th January 2025.

Stephen Fry says reading about Oscar Wilde made him fear 'a cursed life' as a gay man in Britain

Broadcaster and writer was influenced by learning about the homophobia the 19th-century Irish poet faced.

Oscar Wilde's sparkling wit is at its finest

It's difficult to watch Oscar Wilde's 1895 drawing-room comedy-drama An Ideal Husband without relating it to the author's own, ultimately tragic life. Although the story is about a talented politician who is blackmailed for once selling a cabinet secret to help further his career, his fear of the past catching up with him leading to public disgrace seems prescient by Wilde. His own secret homosexual life was about to be exposed as he was arrested for 'gross indecency' during the play's original run in the West End, when his name was taken off the posters.

Review: Lay Windermere's Fan (Vaudeville Theatre)

Following on from the very dated A Woman of No Importance, the second instalment in the Vaudeville Theatre's Oscar Wilde season sees Kathy Burke take the reigns as she directs an all-star cast for Lady Windermere's Fan. But just like its predecessor, despite some great performances, it all just feels a bit too old hat.

Dapper Laughs, Oscar Wilde & 'buzz word' offensiveness

Daniel O'Reilly in his character (Is it a character?) of Dapper Laughs is the comedian who just keeps giving to journalists. He needs better PR advice. Or does he?

Fry and Laurie to reunite for The Canterville Ghost

The duo's first project together for well over a decade is an animated version of the Oscar Wilde short story.

Sadly, the instant you hear the name Admin you know it's going to be a dire Office rip-off.

The slender plotline centres on a promotion when a paralegal position comes up for grabs, inspiring hilarious lines such as, I'd love to be a paraglider. Oscar Wilde got it wrong, sarcasm is not the lowest form of wit - that would be hard-of-hearing idiots with regional accents.

Of the two moments that challenge your smile into a face-off with your frown, the joke about faeces is funnier than the joke about bumming but, on the whole, Admin just gallops forward, for half an hour, like a blind horse.

There is one believable character, a pregnant admin drone, Tania (Jessica Hall), who hides a brain behind her blondeness and swelling bosom.

The rest are caric-atures: the man-eating female boss Gloria (Sian Reeves); a ditzy Scouse who, while filling in her job application, asks, Is smoking an interest?; an 'I'm mad me' dork who goes around the office singing Katrina and the Waves and humping the photocopier; an annoying Asian character, Asif; and a wimpy bloke who pretends he can play the sax but can't (laugh? I nearly did) and who looks like an even more dentally challenged Johnny Borrell.

I blame Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps - that show ran for seven series, without anything other than its fiendish regularity to recommend it.

The message is out there that us plebs will watch anything and, damnit, we probably will. I don't care how hilariously unfunny Admin is, if the Beeb make a full series, we should seriously consider asking for a licence fee rebate.