# ***The Importance of Being Earnest* set to run “Wilde” at the Grand Theatre** ![A figure seen in an opulent, emerald green gown, and holding a mint green hardcover Works of Oscar Wilde.](/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2026-03/HERO_Earnest.jpg?h=aeb5519f&itok=Ymfg_FeG) Design plays lead role in London Made production of Wilde’s Classic Comedy at the Grand Directed by Alistair Newton March 24 to April 12 on the Spriet Stage at the Grand Theatre [grandtheatre.com/event/importance-of-being-earnest](https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/importance-of-being-earnest) **March 17, 2026 – London, ON** – An all-new, **London Made** production of **Oscar Wilde**’s classic romp of friendship and falsehoods will take to the **Spriet Stage** at the **Grand Theatre**, running from **March 24 through April 12**. Director **Alistair Newton** helms a vivid, design-forward staging of *The Importance of Being Earnest* with an attention to the aesthetic that rivals perhaps even that of Wilde himself. “*The Importance* is rife with biting wit and social commentary that remain relevant today, delighting audiences around the world for more than one hundred years now. If we were going to bring this play back to our audiences at the Grand, we wanted to bring a bold idea to it,” shares **Rachel Peake**, Artistic Director of the Grand Theatre. “Enter Director Alistair Newton.” Director Alistair Newton on *The Importance of Being Earnest* at the Grand Theatre. Newton has penned new text, “On the Language of Fans”, and has introduced a new role – Lady Stella Clinton. Also known as Ernest Boulton, Lady Stella was a 19th-century queer trailblazer who famously fainted when she was found innocent in the trial of the century, after being arrested for wearing women’s clothes. In Newton’s *The Importance*, Lady Stella will delight audiences with a pair of musical numbers by **Gilbert and Sullivan** that have been added to the show. ![Billy Lake as Lady Stella Clinton. Costume design by Judith Bowden. Photography by Mai Tilson.](/sites/default/files/2026-03/FEAT_Earnest.jpg) Billy Lake as Lady Stella Clinton. Costume design by Judith Bowden. Photography by Mai Tilson. **Billy Lake** (he/they) makes his Grand Theatre debut as Lady Stella Clinton, and joins a familiar cast of characters (and audience favourites) including **Deena Aziz** as Miss Prism, **James Daly** as Algernon Moncrieff, **Julien Galipeau** as John Worthing, **Kaylee Harwood** as Gwendolen Fairfax, **Claire Jullien** as Lady Bracknell, **Ben Sanders** as Rev. Canon Chasuble / Lane, and **Mirabella Sundar Singh** as Cecily Cardew. “Productions of *The Importance* are usually accompanied by associations –heavy curtains, fussy furniture, lace doilies – which are drawn more from our culture’s received ideas about the late Victorian period than from an aesthetic universe whose dramatic language included melodrama and the transgressive queerness of the music hall,” considers Newton. “In fact, Wilde’s plays have the potential to illuminate the 19th Century in ways that challenge many of these preconceptions, full as they are of secret codes, hidden symbols, double entendres, and perhaps above all, delightful paradoxes.” Featuring opulent, high-fashion wardrobe, the production will be stunningly colour-blocked with each act unveiling itself as vividly monochromatic. “The green of Act One comes from the code of the dyed carnation flowers which Wilde and his set wore on their lapels to identify one another,” reveals Newton. “The yellow of Act Two is the same hue as the covers of ‘decadent’ French literature of the period, as well as of the *Yellow Book*, a publication of the Aesthetic Movement. The red of Act Three is taken from Wilde’s vermillion office at his family’s London home on Tite Street; a blast of shocking, subversive colour amidst an otherwise tastefully minimal, and mostly white, interior.” ![](/sites/default/files/2026-03/MED_Earnest2.jpg) Sketches by Costume Designer Judith Bowden. Newton’s bold vision becomes reality through the show’s creative team which includes **Stephen Ingram** as Music Director, **George Absi** as Choreographer, **Michelle Tracey** as Set Designer, **Judith Bowden** as Costume Designer, **Siobhán Sleath** as Lighting Designer, **Olivia Wheeler** as Sound Designer, **Phyllis Cohen** as Dialect Coach, **Michael Hart** as Stage Manager, **Jordan Guetter** as Assistant Stage Manager, and **Tsz Ting Lam** as Apprentice Stage Manager. With the show’s innovative design, spectacular wit, and the addition of song, dance, and drag, this London Made production of *The Importance of Being Earnest* highlights the underlying queer code that exists throughout Wilde’s masterpiece*.* *The Importance of Being Earnest* plays on the **Spriet Stage** at the Grand Theatre from **March 24 to April 12**. Single tickets range from **$25 to $97** and are available in-person at the Box Office, by phone at 519.672.8800, and online at [grandtheatre.com/event/importance-of-being-earnest](https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/importance-of-being-earnest). The Grand Theatre is grateful to offer **Canada Life Pay-What-You-Can** pricing presented on Sunday, March 29 at 2 p.m., as well as an **Open Caption Performance** on Saturday, April 4 at 2 p.m. The Grand Theatre gratefully acknowledges Season Sponsor **BMO**, Downtown Community Partner **Old Oak Properties**, and Title Sponsor **London Hydro** for their generous support. To learn more about *The Importance of Being Earnest* at the Grand Theatre, please visit [grandtheatre.com/event/importance-of-being-earnest](https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/importance-of-being-earnest). Follow the production and peek behind the scenes by following @thegrandlondon and #GrandPiafDietrich on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/thegrandlondon), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandLondon/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-grand-theatre/), [Threads](https://www.threads.com/@thegrandlondon), [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/thegrandlondon.bsky.social), [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrandTheatre/), [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@thegrandlondon), & [Substack](https://substack.com/@thegrandlondon). Tickets can be purchased online at [grandtheatre.com](http://www.grandtheatre.com/), by phoning the Box Office at 519.672.8800, or by visiting the Box Office in person at 471 Richmond Street (weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) # The Importance of Being Earnest A Trivial Comedy for Serious People By Oscar Wilde Additional text, "On the Language of Fans", by Alistair Newton. Directed by Alistair Newton March 24 to April 12 on the Spriet Stage at the Grand Theatre Title Sponsor: London Hydro ## Creative Team Alistair Newton – Director Stephen Ingram – Music Director George Absi – Choreographer Michelle Tracey – Set Designer Judith Bowden – Costume Designer Siobhán Sleath – Lighting Designer Olivia Wheeler – Sound Designer Phyllis Cohen – Dialect Coach Michael Hart – Stage Manager Jordan Guetter – Assistant Stage Manager Tsz Ting Lam – Apprentice Stage Manager ## Cast Deena Aziz – Miss Prism James Daly – Algernon Moncrieff Julien Galipeau – John Worthing Kaylee Harwood – Gwendolen Fairfax Claire Jullien – Lady Bracknell Billy Lake – Lady Stella Clinton / Merriman Ben Sanders – Rev. Canon Chasuble / Lane Mirabella Sundar Singh – Cecily Cardew -30- The Grand Theatre is located on the traditional territories of the Original storytellers and caretakers of this land and the Nations, both settler and Indigenous, who continue to uphold the various treaties of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, and Lunaapéewak. We value the significant historical and contemporary contributions of local and regional First Nations, and all of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island (colonially known as North America), and acknowledge the traditional lands upon which we live, work, share, and tell stories together. ## ABOUT THE GRAND THEATRE – WORLD CURIOUS. LONDON MADE. The Grand Theatre is known for **world-class theatre created and built in London, Ontario**. As **southwestern Ontario’s premier producing theatre** and **one of the most beautiful theatre spaces in Canada**, the company has deep ties to the community and to its artists, artisans, and technicians. As a vibrant cultural hub and not-for-profit professional theatre, the Grand serves to gather, inspire, and entertain audiences in London and beyond. At our home in downtown London, we create productions on two stages: the Spriet Stage (839 seats) and the Auburn Developments Stage (144 seats). The Grand season of theatrical offerings runs from September to May, and we collaborate with companies and artists across the country through our co-productions that see London-made artistic and creative work travel to audiences nation-wide. Through our successful **New Play Development Program**, the Grand is committed to developing and premiering new, original works and supporting the growth and reach of theatre writers and creators. Our recently renovated venue offers a contemporary and welcoming environment that is also home to several successful music series, community arts rentals, and cultural and special events. A cornerstone of the organization is our place as a teaching theatre, exemplified in our many mentorship programs and highlighted in our annual **Grand Theatre High School Project**. As the first program of its kind in the country and currently in its twenty-eighth year, the High School Project involves as many as one hundred high school participants annually from schools across the region. These students participate at no cost and take on roles both on stage and off, in a fully realized mainstage production under the direction of a professional creative team. For more information, visit: [grandtheatre.com](http://www.grandtheatre.com). ## MEDIA CALL When: Tuesday, March 24 at 1:00 p.m. (Cameras, please arrive at 12:30 p.m. to set up) Where: Spriet Stage, Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond Street, London, Ontario What: Photo, video, and interview opportunities for media. ## PHOTOGRAPHY When available, production photography will be added to the linked folder above. If you are working towards a deadline and are including photography, please contact Melissa Mae Shipley for the best and fastest options available at any moment. Melissa can be reached via email at mshipley \[at\] grandtheatre.com (mshipley\[at\]grandtheatre\[dot\]com) or by phone at 519.672.9030 x266. ## FOR MORE INFORMATION & ALL MEDIA INQUIRIES Melissa Mae Shipley, Communications and Public Relations Manager mshipley \[at\] grandtheatre.com (mshipley\[at\]grandtheatre\[dot\]com) office: 519.672.9030 x266 cell: 519.280.4008 ## Header Photo Pictured: Billy Lake as Lady Stella Clinton. Costume design by Judith Bowden. Photography by Mai Tilson. .videowrapper {float: none; clear: both; width: 100%; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 25px; height: 0;} .videowrapper iframe {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .production-info p {padding-bottom: 0em; margin: 0.2em 0;}