A FANTASTIC JOURNEY THROUGH OSCAR WILDE’S LIFE, CELEBRATING THE ART, JOY, AND DESPAIR OF HIS NOTORIOUS LIFE

By Ruth Thompson | @ruth.thompson_ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

The Importance of Being Oscar is a one man play that guides audiences through key moments from the life of playwright Oscar Wilde’s life. Exploring him falling in love, reaching the height of his fame and the scandal that destroyed everything. It features exerts from his famous works like The Importance of Being Ernest and The Portrait of Dorian Grey, alongside lesser known works like poems and personal letters. The Importance of Being Oscar was originally written and performed by Micheál Mac Liammóir in 1960, now in 2025 the play is being performed by Alastair Whatley at the Jermyn Street Theatre. This production is directed by Michael Fentiman and co-produced with the Original Theatre company.  

The energy of the small theatre was wonderful, being filled with many fans of the great man with some of us laughing before the punch line of our favourite witty quotes. The simple set and stage was used well with some cleverly engineered lighting and sound design to heighten the experience and ambience. 

The first act follows Oscar Wilde from leaving his home country of Ireland to his rise through Victorian London society, meeting both men and woman who he formed relationships with. Alastair Whatley delivers a great performance moving from narrator, to Oscar and various other character throughout the play. He navigates us through Wilde’s works and experiences leading to his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas and his father’s mission to ruin him. This results in Wilde being convicted of ‘gross indecency’ and serving two years of hard labour in Reading prison.  

The suffering found within the second act is a  stark contrast to the delicious ice cream I enjoyed in the interval and unfortunately the pace of this act doesn’t match that of the first. To an extent this is due to the fact that the second half of Wilde’s life is significantly less cheerful, however I do feel that the pieces of text chosen to illustrate this part of his life we much longer than the first and slowed the feel of the play. I felt as if there was more to learn about this period in his life but not enough offered.   

Whilst the play itself is a great education on Oscar Wilde’s life it does not talk about all of his many sins. As someone who is passionate about how, very often women get left out of the stories of these ‘great men’ I would say there is very little of detail of his wife and how his actions and behaviours effected others. That being said I enjoyed the play immensely and it delivered what was promised. A short but engaging and, at times thrilling account of some of Oscar Wilde’s life.  

The Importance of Being Oscar is running at Jermyn Street Theatre until Saturday 19 April. I highly recommend catching it if you can! 

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Photo Credit: Marc Brenner