FULL CAST ANNOUNCED – NIGEL ANTHONY, ROSALIND AYRES,
NIGEL HAVERS, MARTIN JARVIS,
CHRISTINE KAVANAGH, SIÂN PHILLIPS, CARMEN du SAUTOY, DAVID SHAW-PARKER
STAR IN THE HIT WEST END PRODUCTION OF
At THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK
FROM TUESDAY 17TH TO SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER
Oscar Wilde’s
The Importance of Being Earnest
‘A trivial comedy for serious people’
Directed by LUCY BAILEY
Designed by WILLIAM DUDLEY
Starring ROSALIND AYRES, NIGEL HAVERS, MARTIN JARVIS, CHRISTINE KAVANAGH and SIÂN PHILLIPS who reprise their West End performances and are joined by NIGEL ANTHONY, CARMEN du SAUTOY, DAVID SHAW-PARKER.
Full casting has now been announced for The Bunbury Company of Players production of Oscar Wilde’s much loved and witty masterpiece THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, which will embark on a first class regional tour from Autumn this year. The play will be on at the Grand Opera House York from Tuesday 17th to Saturday 21stNovember.
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.
‘Earnest gets a terrific twist’
The Daily Mail
‘Thoroughly likeable…Sparkling fun’
The Times
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 York 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.
Director Lucy Bailey
Designer William Dudley
Company Writer Simon Brett
The Importance of Being Earnest is being produced by Rupert Gavin for Incidental Colman as a Bunbury Company of Players presentation.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Theatre: Grand Opera House York
Dates: 17 – 21 November
Performance days/times: Tue – Sat 7:30pm; Wed, Thu & Sat mats 2:30pm
Ticket prices: £32, £25, £16, £10
Booking details: In person at theatre box office or call ATG tickets on 0844 871 3024, book online atwww.atgtickets.com/york