THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST to Open Birmingham Rep's Autumn 2016 Season

A brand new production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest launches Birmingham Repertory Theatre's exciting 2016 Autumn season.

The Importance of Being Earnest, which will run from 9-24 September, provides audiences with the chance to see this new production for the first time in Birmingham before completing its run at Leicester Curve from 11-29 October.

The production will star actress Cathy Tyson as the iconic Lady Bracknell. Cathy who has a string of theatre credits to her name including Golden Girls (RSC), The Merchant of Venice (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), and Mum's the Word, received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for her role in the film Mona Lisa which this year celebrates 30 years since its release.

Cathy says: "Lady Bracknell is so well known. I've played Ophelia, I've played Cleopatra and lots of other famous characters but people have a really personal view on Lady Bracknell. They quote lines back at you! It's lovely because it's theirs as well."

Further cast members include Sharan Phull as repressed romantic Cecily Cardew, Edward Franklin as upper-class playboy Algernon Moncrieff, Fela Lufadejue as the dependable John (Jack) Worthing, Angela Clarkin as the uptight nanny Miss Prism, Dominic Gately as the incorruptible Reverend Chasuble, Darren Bennett as the ever-faithful servants Lane and Merriman and Martha Mackintosh as prim and proper Gwendolen Fairfax.

Bachelor Jack Worthing and his best mate Algernon Moncrieff hope to marry society's most eligible ladies, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. But the lads' courtship of the women is far from straight forward. With double identities, handbag mishaps and hostile encounters with the formidable Lady Bracknell, the pair become embroiled in a web of mistaken identities with hilarious consequences.

Regarded as one of the finest comedies in the English language, Wilde's play explodes with his trademark razor-sharp wit and uncovers the hypocrisies of a society where what is seen on the outside is very different to the truth that lies beneath.

The Importance of Being Earnest is Directed by Nikolai Foster, Curve's Artistic Director, who gives Oscar Wilde's class comedy a stylish, fresh and contemporary spin.

Nikolai says: We are delighted that Cathy Tyson is Lady Bracknell. She is so hugely intelligent, intuitive and imaginative. Those three things brought together with this role will create something incredible. I first saw Cathy in 'Band of Gold' on TV growing up and I still remember very clearly her rawness and visceral attack. I was blown away by her!

The creative team will also include Dougal Irvine as composer, Ben Cracknell as lighting designer, Dan Hoole as Sound Designer and design by Isla Shaw.

IF YOU GO:

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

Friday 9 September - Friday 24 September (previews 9, 10, 12, 13 September)

Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP

Performances: Evenings at 7.30pm; Wednesday 14 September 7pm; Matinees at 2pm Wednesday 15 September, Saturday 17 September, Thursday 22 September and Friday 24 September. (no Sunday performances).

Audio Described Performance Monday 19 September 7.30pm; Captioned Performance Tuesday 20 September 7.30pm; BSL Interpreted Performance Thursday 22 September 7.30pm.

Tickets from £15 (preview tickets £10)

Box Office: 0121 236 4455 Online Booking: Birmingham-rep.co.uk.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Darren Bennett's theatre credits include Legally Blonde (Curve) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre), Aladdin (O2 Arena), Annie, Fiddler On The Roof, Singin' In The Rain (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Merrily We Roll Along (Theatre Clywd), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Crazy For You, West Side Story, The Songbook Of Judy Garland, Cats, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, The Boyfriend (all UK tours) and The Mousetrap (St Martin's Theatre).

Angela Clerkin plays Miss Prism. Her theatre credits Everyone (BAC), The Haunting Of Hill House (Liverpool Playhouse), Early Days Of A Better Nation (Coney, UK tour), Chris Goode & Co's Monkey Bars (Traverse- Fringe First winner, and UK tour) and Panic (Barbican, Sydney Opera House, UK tour). Her television credits include Doctor Who, Humans, My Family, Sugar Rush, The Office and for film, Dean Spanley.

Edward Franklin as Algernon Moncrief. His theatre credits include Hay Fever (Bath Theatre Royal, UK & Australian tour and West End), Shakespeare In Love (Noel Coward Theatre), Twelve Angry Men (Garrick Theatre), Dances Of Death, Wittenberg (Gate Theatre) and Many Moons (Theatre 503). His television credits include Doctor Thorne, Being Human and Married, Single, Other. For film, his credits include Denial, Home, Brain Hack.

Dominic Gately plays Dr Chasuble. His theatre credits include Beryl (West Yorkshire/Rose Theatre Kingston), Barnbow Canaries, Refugee Boy, Scuffer, Monkey! and Company Along the Mile (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Good Person Of Sichuan (Mercury Theatre Colchester), Kes (Liverpool Playhouse/Touring Consortium) and The Diary Of Anna Frank (York Theatre Royal/Touring Consortium). His television credits include Paradox and Walk Like A Panther.

Fela Lufadeju's theatre credits include Drunk and Chicago (Curve), Beautiful (Aldwych Theatre), Dessa Rose (Trafalgar Studios), Cool Rider (Duchess Theatre), Hairspray and Dirty Dancing (both UK tours).

Martha Mackintosh was a member of The National Youth Theatre. Her Television credits include A Song for Jenny, What Remains and New Tricks (BBC1), Stella (Sky 1), Midsommer Murders for ITV1. Films include Brimstone and Throwaway.

Cathy Tyson plays Lady Bracknell. Her theatre credits include Golden Girls (RSC), The Taming Of The Shrew (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), The Merchant Of Venice (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Pygmalion, Educating Rita (Theatr Clywd), Bright Phoenix, The May Queen (Liverpool Everyman) and Mum's The Word (West End). Her television credits include Coming Up: Hooked, Band Of Gold, Scully, Always & Everyone, Night & Day, M.I.T., Bonkers, A Thing Called Love, The Liverpool Nativity, Perfect and Rules of Engagement. Her film credits The Marker, Chick Lit, The Mona Lisa, Priest, The Lost Language Of Cranes, The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, Business As Usual and Ollie Kepler's Expanding World. She received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for her role in the film Mona Lisa. She has also won the Los Angeles Film Critic Association Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Sharan Phull's theatre credits include Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical (West End), Rent, Annie Pereira's Bakery At 76 Chapel Road, Sweeney Todd, Okay Tata Bye Bye (Curve), Stranger In The Kitchen (Off The Fence Theatre Company) and The Visit (Nottingham Playhouse).

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