Mansfield Palace Theatre

The Importance of Being…Earnest? is a madcap, interactive adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic. Much like The Play That Goes Wrong, Say It Again, Sorry?’s interpretation is framed within a production that goes horribly, horribly wrong.

Described as a genuine slapstick embodiment of the show must go on, audience members are invited (with their consent) to fill principle roles where needed as an increasing number of actors become indisposed, leading to an entirely unique, unpredictable and hilarious form of audience participation and whirlwind theatrical adventure. Think props going awry, sound disappearing, reading from a script – provided by an onstage printer - and wondering whether the cast will ever reach the end of the script, and you’ve got an idea of how the evening will go.

Say it Again, Sorry? bring Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest crashing into the 21st century with their adaptation peppered with pop-culture references such as the Spice Girls, Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing and Harry Potter - allegedly due to some dodgy script ‘misprints’! The night will see characters having to be replaced because they are intoxicated, having to leave to go to audition for a better job, or simply refusing to work with amateurs.

In short, if you are hoping for a true-to-the-text production of the Importance of Being Earnest, this isn’t for you, but if an entertainingly bonkers night out at the theatre where potentially anything could happen is your bag, this one is definitely for you! It’ll have you deeply belly laughing throughout; just the tonic for the bleak weather we seem to be continually party to at the moment.

Running at Mansfield Palace Theatre on Thursday 30 May only, grab your tickets online 24/7 or call Box Office on 01623 463133.