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.

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.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 18th September)

12:30

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Parent + Baby screening
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15:30

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Deaf/HOH subtitles
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18:45

The Courageous 12A
1h 23m | French w/ English subtitles
In rural Switzerland, a troubled mother fights to prove her worth to a judgmental society. Jasmin Gordon’s striking debut confronts ideas of morality, freedom, and redemption in this moving drama about second chances.

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20:45

Sorry, Baby 15
1h 43m
Eva Victor writes and stars in this tender, darkly funny debut about healing from trauma. When a friend’s visit highlights her own emotional stasis, Agnes begins confronting the past, inching toward a new future in this heartfelt comedy.

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Tomorrow (Friday 19th September)

16:00

The Ceremony 15
1h 32m | Arabic, Kurdish, & Romanian with English subtitles
Two undocumented Romanian workers in rural England face a moral crisis that could destroy their friendship. Jack King’s award-winning debut is a visually arresting, slow-burn drama about survival and finding common ground in desperate circumstances.

Book here

18:15

Young Mothers 12A
1h 46m | French w/ English subtitles
Belgian filmmaking duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Two Days, One Night) deliver an unflinching, empathetic portrait of teens raising babies in a state shelter. This Cannes-winning drama captures dignity, hardship, and hope in the face of systemic neglect.

Book here

20:45

Sorry, Baby 15
1h 43m
Eva Victor writes and stars in this tender, darkly funny debut about healing from trauma. When a friend’s visit highlights her own emotional stasis, Agnes begins confronting the past, inching toward a new future in this heartfelt comedy.

Book here


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!