Importance of Being Earnest

'We should treat all the trivial things of life seriously and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality.' This is how Oscar Wilde described the philosophy of The Importance of Being Earnest, his most sparkling, witty and light-hearted play of aristocratic manners and high society. To avoid family duties, Algernon Moncrieff, a bachelor-about-town, has invented Bunbury, a sick relative who frequently calls him away. His friend Jack Worthing has invented a wicked brother called Ernest to diguise his own misdemeanours. When Algernon poses as Ernest, confusion takes a hold and it takes the discovery of an old black handbag before Jack and Algernon can discover the truth behind the deceit. In a brilliant expose of social follies, Oscar Wilde has written the most delightful, timeless comedy of them all. The cover shows a detail from The Luncheon in the Conservatory by Louise Abbema in the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Pau (photo: Bridgeman Art Library)