THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Tour to Visit Coventry's Belgrade Theatre

Oscar Wilde's much-loved masterpiece THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST will visit Coventry's Belgrade Theatre from Tues 29th September to Sat 3rd October as part of a major new U.K tour starring stage and TV favourite Nigel Havers in the role of Algernon Moncrieff.

Rosalind Ayres (Titanic, Outnumbered, New Tricks), Nigel Havers (Chariots of Fire, Downton Abbey, Coronation Street), Martin Jarvis (Endeavour, Just William, Titanic), Christine Kavanagh (Man and Superman, Vera, Manchild), and Siân Phillips (Marlene, The Age of Innocence, Cabaret) will reunite as The Bunbury Company of Players, an extremely experienced cast of serious comedic actors, to reprise their roles as Miss Prism, Algernon Moncrieff, John Worthing J.P., Cecily Cardew and Lady Bracknell from the West End. They will be joined by Nigel Anthony (Tonight at 8.30, Dearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn, The Shepherd) in the roles of Lane and Merriman, with Carmen du Sautoy (The Man with the Golden Gun, Poor Little Rich Girl, Lost Empires) as Gwendolyn Fairfax, David Shaw-Parker (McQueen, Uncle Vanya, The Muppet's Christmas Carol) as Rev Canon Chasuble. Dubbed by Wilde 'a trivial comedy for serious people', the production delivers an entirely faithful, but completely unique, setting to one of the greatest theatrical comedies.

Introducing Wide's genius afresh to a new audience, acclaimed director Lucy Bailey, together with comic novelist, Simon Brett, and the innovative theatre designer William Dudley have created a delightful new context for the play which enchanted audiences across the UK last year.

Rupert Gavin, producer for Incidental Colman, said "I am absolutely delighted that in our 34th year as a producing company with a long tradition in comedy, we are reprising our celebratory milestone 100th production - warmly received in the West end - with a U.K. wide tour of that landmark comedy in the English language, The Importance of Being Earnest. For this, we have drawn together an exceptional creative team, a group of brilliant comedic actors, and we bring of course, a twist to proceedings, that you would only expect of us."

Nigel Havers, said: "This production is very close to my heart and we had a ball doing it in the West End last summer. I'm thrilled we get to do it all again and hope audiences in Coventry will laugh and enjoy watching our twist on Oscar's brilliant play as much as we enjoy performing it."

The Importance of Being Earnest elegantly lampoons the hypocrisies of Victorian society and opens as two bachelors, the dependable, John Worthing, J.P. (Martin Jarvis) and upper class playboy Algernon Moncrieff (Nigel Havers), feel compelled to create different identities in order to pursue two eligible ladies Cecily Cardew (Christine Kavanagh) and Gwendolyn Fairfax (Carmen du Sautoy). The hilarious misadventures which result from their subterfuge; their brushes with the redoubtable Lady Bracknell (Siân Phillips) and the uptight Miss Prism (Rosalind Ayres) result in a plot that twists and fizzles with some of the finest dialogue to be found in theatre.

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