The Importance of Being Earnest

A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
By Oscar Wilde
Additional text, "On the Language of Fans", by Alistair Newton.
March 24 to April 12, 2026
Opening Night: Friday, March 27
Spriet Stage

 

Running Time: 2h 35m, including one intermission.

Age recommendation: 10+  

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The Importance of Being Earnest

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March 24, 2026 | 7:30pm   Get Tickets

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Oscar Wilde’s hilarious classic of two friends, lost in love, navigating a series of entirely avoidable misadventures.


GROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR PARTIES OF 10+! LEARN MORE. 

Meet Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, two close friends who have one solution to all of their problems—lying!  

Both lead double lives: Jack uses the fake persona of 'Ernest' to escape his responsibilities, while Algernon invents an imaginary friend to dodge social obligations. But when both men fall in love with eligible ladies, they must untangle a web of lies, misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and hilarious situations to win their hearts. Will they be able to keep up the ruse?  

Considered one of Wilde's best works, The Importance of Being Earnest is a guaranteed laugh-out-loud chaos of troubles and mix-ups from start to finish. With its clever humour and playful commentary of Victorian society, the play has remained a staple for over a century.   

"I am thrilled to welcome Alistair Newton to the Grand for the first time. Alistair directed the visually stunning (and sold out) production of Witness for the Prosecution at Shaw in 2024 and will bring his signature bold aesthetic to breathe fresh life into this fantastic script."
- Rachel Peake, Artistic Director of the Grand Theatre  

ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE

AFTERWORDS

On select Wednesday evenings, immediately after the performance, join host Breanne Ritchie in the theatre's lounge for a brief guided discussion with guest artists, creative team members, and Grand staff members.

Tea Talks

Join us for creative conversations pre-show with host Rachel Peake and special guests connected to the show. Tea Talks begin at 12:00pm before the Wednesday 1:00pm matinée.

Open Caption Performance

For patrons who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, or who enjoy watching a performance with surtitles, we invite you to sit in house right of the Orchestra for best viewing of the Open Captions screen. Click the link below or call the Box Office for more information: 519-672-8800.

Audience Advisory

Mild sexuality.

The Cast

Deena Aziz
Deena Aziz
Miss Prisim
James Daly
James Daly
Algernon Moncrieff
Julien Galipeau
Julien Galipeau
John Worthing, J.P
Kaylee Harwood
Kaylee Harwood
Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax
Claire Jullien
Claire Jullien
Lady Bracknell
Billy Lake
Billy Lake
Lady Stella Clinton
Ben Sanders
Ben Sanders
Rev. Canon Chausble, D. D. / Lane
Mirabella Sundar Singh
Mirabella Sundar-Singh
Cecily Cardew

Creative Team

Alistair Newton
Alistair Newton
Director
For the Grand Theatre: Debut.
 
Theatre Credits (Selected): Witness for the Prosecution (Shaw Festival, Revival at Drayton Entertainment); Love and Information, King Lear (Canadian Stage); Of A Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical (Buddies in Bad times Theatre/Ecce Homo Theatre).
 
Other: Gradate of both BFA programs at the University of Victoria and York University. Canadian Stage's joint MFA program in stage direction. Dora Award-nominated playwright (Of A Monstrous Child). Instructed at University of Victoria, Dalhousie University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and George Brown College.
Stephen Ingram
Stephen Ingram
Music Director
Michelle Tracey
Michelle Tracey
Set Designer
For the Grand Theatre: Debut.
 
Theatre Credits (Selected): Roberto Zucco (Buddies in Bad Times); Candida, The Clearing (Shaw Festival); Every Little Nookie, Nathan the Wise (Stratford Festival); Behind the Moon, This Was The World, Much Ado About Nothing (Tarragon Theatre); Indecent (Studio 180); The Welkin, WILDWOMAN, Wedding at Aulis, Sisters, Waiting for Godot (Soulpepper Theatre).
 
Judith Bowden
Judith Bowden
Costume Designer
Siobhán Sleath
Siobhán Sleath
Lighting Designer
For the Grand Theatre: Homes: A Refugee Story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, In Seven Days, Heist.
 
Theatre Credits (Selected): Witness for the Prosecution, The Horse and His Boy, Wilde Tales (Shaw Festival); The Rising World (Seoul Arts Centre); Canoe (Unsettled Scores/Native Earth); Snow White (YPT); Come From Away: The Concert (Marquis Productions); Ring of Fire, On a First Name Basis (Theatre Aquarius); The Hobbit (Adirondack Theater Festival); The Great Divide (Harold Green Jewish Theatre); Ann (Arkansas Rep Theatre); Figaro’s Wedding (Against the Grain); Miracle on 34th Street, A Year with Frog and Toad, Shrek and The Addams Family (Neptune Theatre).
 
Michael Hart
Michael Hart
Stage Manager
For the Grand Theatre: Great Expectations, The Wind in the Willows, Schippel, The Plumber, Strawberries in January, Fully Committed, Fall On Your Knees.
 
Theatre Credits (Selected): Dangerous Liaisons, The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?, Casey and Diana, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Show, The Tempest (Stratford Festival, 29 Seasons); Casey and Diana (Theatre Aquarius/RMTC); A Christmas Story The Musical (Theatre Aquarius); Casey and Diana (Soulpepper); Angels in America (That Theatre Co./Buddies); Fall on Your Knees (Canadian Stage, Neptune, NAC, Grand Theatre); Heisenberg, Liv Stein (Canadian Stage); Constellations (Centaur/Canadian Stage); Body Politics (Buddies); The Death of the King (Modern Times); The Winter's Tale (Groundling); Bombay Black (Factory Theatre); Hamlet (Neptune Theatre).
Jordan Guetter
Jordan Guetter
Assistant Stage Manager
For the Grand Theatre: The Play That Goes Wrong, Elf: The Musical, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Million Dollar Quartet, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, A Christmas Carol, Chariots of Fire, Home for the Holidays.
 
Theatre Credits (Selected): Richard II, The Diviners, Love’s Labour’s Lost (Stratford Festival); Don Giovanni, Carmen, Die Vögel, Il Trittico (Pacific Opera Victoria); Mamma Mia (Neptune); Baskerville (Chemainus); The Music Man, Serving Elizabeth, Kim’s Convenience, Ring of Fire (Thousand Islands Playhouse); R.U.R. A Torrent of Light, Oksana G (Tapestry Opera); Cock (TIFT); Passing Strange (The Musical Stage Company/Obsidian); The Brothers Size, The Testament of Mary, Hosanna (Soulpepper).
 
Other: Jordan has also worked with Volcano, Drayton Entertainment, Cahoots, b current, Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Sudbury Theatre Centre, and more.
Tsz Ting Lam
Tsz Ting Lam
Apprentice Stage Manager
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