Classic Radio Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatised) cover art

Classic Radio Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatised)

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Classic Radio Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatised)

By: Oscar Wilde
Narrated by: Jeremy Clyde, Richard Pasco, Prunella Scales, Maurice Denham
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Algernon Moncrieff, a bachelor-about-town, has invented an invalid friend called Bunbury in order to get out of tiresome family engagements. At the same time, his friend Jack Worthing has invented a wicked brother called Ernest to disguise his own misdemeanours. When Algernon poses as Ernest to win the heart of Cecily Cardew, confusion reigns, and it takes the discovery of an old black handbag to reveal the truth...

Oscar Wilde's dazzling comedy about mistaken identities and secret engagements still delights audiences over a century after its first performance in 1895. This BBC Radio production, first broadcast in 1977, features Jeremy Clyde as Algernon, Richard Pasco as Worthing, Prunella Scales as Cecily and Maurice Denham as the Rev. 'Canon Chasuble' is the first broadcast of the original four-act version of the play.

"The Classic Radio Theatre" range presents notable radio productions of much-loved plays by some of the most renowned playwrights, and starring some of our finest actors.

Public Domain (P)2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Literature & Fiction Comedy Funny

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Trials of Oscar Wilde cover art
Orwell: The Essays cover art
A Tale of Two Cities cover art
The Picture of Dorian Gray cover art
The Oscar Wilde Collection cover art
Twelfth Night cover art
An Ideal Husband cover art
The Lemon Table cover art
The Lost World (AmazonClassics Edition) cover art
Jane Eyre cover art
Wives and Daughters cover art
Plain Tales from the Hills cover art
The Mill on the Floss cover art
The Woman in White cover art
A Literary Christmas cover art
Oliver Twist cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
One of my favourite plays; the story is of course brilliantly written and the dialogue is full of wit and linguistical acrobatics. The tale is hilariously awkward and follows Earnest and Algie trying to lie their way out of every mishap.
This 1977 performance is well cast and produced. Lady Bracknell's pithy put-downs are especially well delivered.
Would definitely recommend.

Trivial comedy at its best

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. Not sure the story will stick with me, but the performance and feelings will.

Very entertaining

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The brilliance of Oscar Wilde has long been celebrated. The delicious wit of the dialogue in his most famous play, is exquisitely brought to life by the first rate cast.

Sublime.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
it was such a brilliant story, "a perfectly trivial comedy for perfectly serious people."
a great help with my a level studies, helps me get more familiar with the characters and hear how they're supposed to speak the text in the play.
Brilliant stuff!!

Absolutely loved it, I've listened to this 3 times

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Had me laughing out loud the entire time. I’ll be listening to it again soon.

Hilarious

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Oscar Wilde at his very best. A simply wonderful story, dramatised to perfection. Highly recommended.

Tremendous

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An excellent performance of Oscar Wilde's classic comedy

Sharp, funny satire and an excellent look back to an age gone by.

Brought to Life Vividly

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.