by Oscar Wilde

Open Air Theatre at Reading Abbey Ruins
17-27 July 2024

Past Event . Planning your visit . Our open air history

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple"

The most renowned of Oscar Wilde’s comedies. It’s the story of two bachelors, John ‘Jack’ Worthing and Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff, who create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives.

They attempt to win the hearts of two women who, conveniently, claim to only love men called Ernest. The pair struggle to keep up with their own stories and become tangled in a tale of deception, disguise and misadventure.

The elaborate plot ridicules Victorian sensibilities with some of the best-loved characters on the modern stage.

Cast

Algernon - Matthew Urwin 
Lane - Dean Stephenson
Jack - Chris Westgate
Gwendoline - Stephanie Ness
Lady Bracknell - Caroline Warner
Miss Prism - Liz Paulo
Cecily - Nancy Gittus
Dr Chasuble - Paul Gittus
Merriman - John Goodman

Directed by Steph Dewar.  

Planning your visit . Our open air history