National Theatre Live: The Importance of Being EarnestPG

Directed by Max Webster | UK | 2025 | 2h 50m | Starring Sharon D Clarke, Ncuti Gatwa, Hugh Skinner, Amanda Lawrence, Shereener Browne.

Three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy. While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate. Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.

National Theatre Live

Reviews

‘A flawless piece of comic theatre’
★★★★★
Cindy Marcolina, Broadway World

‘Ncuti Gatwa leads a Wilde party of irresistible anarchic charm’
★★★★
Arifa Akbar, The Guardian

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed National Theatre Live: The Importance of Being Earnest between March 2, 2025 and March 6, 2025.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Today (Saturday 2nd August)
Find out more

16:00

Friendship 15
1h 41m
What begins as a quirky bromance spirals into a hilariously dark tale of obsession and unraveling sanity. Comedian Tim Robinson shines in this off-kilter comedy about loneliness and the awkward terror of modern male connection.

Book here

Find out more

18:30

Separation / It Couldn't Happen 15
1h 33m + 1h 26m
A double-bill screening of films by Jack Bond: Separation, a bold 1960s psychological drama, and It Couldn’t Happen Here, the Pet Shop Boys’ visionary pop road movie. Two cult classics back-to-back exploring identity, fantasy, and Britain in transformation.

Book here


Tomorrow (Sunday 3rd August)
Find out more

14:00

Ran 15
2h 41m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Classic Season: Samurai Summer
Kurosawa’s King Lear retold in feudal Japan: a warlord’s plan to divide his realm brings ruin to all. Epic, tragic, and visually jaw-dropping, Ran is a towering tale of power, betrayal, and the high cost of pride – now restored in 4K.

Book here

Find out more

17:30

Friendship 15
1h 41m
What begins as a quirky bromance spirals into a hilariously dark tale of obsession and unraveling sanity. Comedian Tim Robinson shines in this off-kilter comedy about loneliness and the awkward terror of modern male connection.

Book here

Find out more

20:00

Women's Adventure Film Tour PG
2h 28m (inc. 10min intermission)
Experience a bold, exhilarating lineup of short films celebrating women who dare to defy limits. From epic climbs to personal triumphs, these powerful stories blend adventure and emotion in a globally acclaimed celebration of female courage and grit.

Book here


See all upcoming films

Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

Find out more