01 Jul 2026
Jazzy, sassy, and sparkling in the open air, OVO is bringing a 1920s-styled version of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest to the Roman Theatre Festival this week.
The new production, which is adapted and directed by OVO founder and artistic director Adam Nichols, transports Wilde’s comic masterpiece to the roaring twenties – a world overflowing with style, glitz, and glamour.
Featuring a talented cast of actor-musicians, a live on-stage band seamlessly threads jazz-styled contemporary chart hits – think RAYE, Madonna, Lizzo and Eminem – through Wilde’s celebrated, razor-sharp dialogue.
In this vibrant version, the female characters take centre stage. Powered by agency and confidence, they are brought to life with refreshing strength. The traditional dynamics of the text shift delightfully, with relationships pioneered as much by female courtship as male.
In the spirit of Wilde’s own description, it is a production “exquisitely trivial” and “searchingly serious”, delivered with enormous wit, playfulness, and heart and combining drama, live music, and fabulous choreography.
Adam said: “The Importance of Being Earnest is a showcase of what OVO does best: reimagining classic plays in a bold new colour.
“Glittering, sharp, and beautifully mischievous, it’s the summer party you won’t want to miss.”
The Importance of Being Earnest runs from July 3-18 as part of the 12th annual Roman Theatre Open Air Festival, and tickets are on sale from £15 at www.ovo.org.uk
