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Original Theatre and Reading Rep Theatre present...

The Importance of Being Oscar



  • Corn Exchange Auditorium
  • Full price £26.25  / 
  • Under-19s £20 (including booking fees)  / 
  • Schools £15
A man in a round white circle holding a bouquet with petals flying and holding out a green carnation

'A beautiful production - intimate and utterly compelling'  Gyles Brandreth

Oscar Wilde became an icon on his death. But the life he lived was far more dramatic than anything he ever wrote.

This funny and fiercely moving show, features a tour de force central performance from Alastair Whatley, hailed as ★★★★★ 'truly magnificent…phenomenal to watch' (Theatre and Tonic). 

Oscar, his rise and fall, his glory and his devastation, is conjured back to life through his own words and those of his fiercest champion, the fabled Irish writer Micheál Mac Liammóir. 

We meet the man who lived and loved without compromise, whilst creating some of the most famous – and famously funny – plays still adored by millions today.

Experience Oscar as you’ve never seen him before – real, raw, defiant. This legendary play helped redefine our attitudes and appreciation of a man whose life became his work of art and is returning for a limited UK tour ahead of a London run. 
 
Directed by Michael Fentiman (Amélie, Jekyll & Hyde, Lion Witch & Wardrobe) and produced by the Olivier nominated Original Theatre (Being Mr Wickham, The Interview, Birdsong).

A beautiful production - intimate and utterly compelling

Gyles Brandreth

★★★★★ Phenomenal… Alastair Whatley is truly magnificent as Wilde

Theatre and Tonic

★★★★★ Captivating

Broadway World

★★★★★  Elegant and electrifying

The Spy in the Stalls

★★★★  Whatley's interpretation of Oscar…exemplary

The Reviews Hub

Watch the trailer

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Performance time: 7.30pm

Running time: 1hr 50mins (including interval)

Age guide: 12+

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