Drama Scholars and Enrichment Students’ Screening and Discussion – Jan 2026
Last week, Drama scholarship and enrichment students enjoyed a live production screening of The Importance of Being Earnest in Seckford Theatre, complete with the usual cookies and hot chocolate!
Being sensible can be excessively boring – at least Jack thinks so! While assuming the role of dutiful guardian in the country, he lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy takes on a similar facade.
Unfortunately, living a double life has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to love. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.
Max Webster (Donmar’s Macbeth; Life of Pi) directs a joyful and flamboyant reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy. Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Doctor Who) is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) and Hugh Skinner (W1A; Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) in this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance.
Year 9’s Clem shares her thoughts on the screening and discussion that took place the next day.
“The Importance of Being Earnest is a brilliant and satirical comedy that plays with the ideas of society and identity.
It is set in the traditional late Victorian period, but the National Theatre production added modern twists to make it more interesting and relatable for a modern audience.
The set design was mostly traditional at the start, but it was cleverly changed into a countryside setting; this helped to show the contrast and juxtaposition between the characters and their different lifestyles.
I think this play was particularly enjoyable because of its unusual use of humour to mock society and its ridiculous rules on marriage. I also found it especially interesting how the play presented the different attitudes of the characters depending on where they lived. Overall, the performance effectively used humour and creative staging to highlight how silly and exaggerated social rules were at the time.”
