Theatre News

Old Red Lion’s Importance Transfers to West End, 31 Jan

13 January 2012

The Old Red Lion’s production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket for a limited season.

Directed by Old Red Lion co-artistic director Henry Filloux-Bennett, the production will run at the Haymarket from 31 January to 11 February, filling the space between the closure of The Lion in Winter and the transfer of One Man, Two Guvnors.

Though faithful to Wilde’s 1895 text, The Importance of Being Earnest contains “very modern twists” including iPhones and walkie-talkies.

The cast includes Harriet Ballard, Simon Grujich, Stephanie Lane, James McNicholas, Rachel Nussbaum, Owen Roberts, Morgan Thomas and Janet Jefferies as Lady Bracknell.

The transfer will mark a major step up in scale for the production – whereas the Old Red Lion houses an audience of 60 above a pub, the Theatre Royal Haymarket has capacity for over 900.

Arnold M Crook, chairman of the Theatre Royal Haymarket, said: “(We) are delighted to offer Henry Filloux-Bennett the opportunity to stage his Old Red Lion Theatre production of The Importance of Being Earnest. We are thrilled that he and his team at the Old Red Lion are able to embrace the opportunity to realise their West End ambition and we wish them all good fortune for this limited run.”

The Importance of Being Earnest completes its run at the Old Red Lion in Islington on 28 January.