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The Importance of Being Earnest (Original 4 Act Version)

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  4w, 8m

Oscar Wilde, Vyvyan Holland

"The fun in the scene Wilde deleted is better than any living playwright can do." - James Agate

Originally written in four acts, this stage classic was cut when first produced to provide time the obligatory curtain raiser of that era. Acts II and III were condensed into one act and two characters were omitted from the last act.

The Importance of Being Earnest (Original 4 Act Version)

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 8m
  • Suggested Use
    • UIL Approved

Details

Summary
Originally written in four acts, this stage classic was cut when first produced to provide time the obligatory curtain raiser of that era. Acts II and III were condensed into one act and two characters were omitted from the last act. In 1903 a Leipzig publisher issued a German translation of the four act play and from it the original English version, which was successfully produced at London's Old Vic, was reconstructed.

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"The fun in the scene Wilde deleted is better than any living playwright can do." - James Agate

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
  • Optional Music/Media Fee: £10 per performance

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Authors

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was born in Dublin to Sir William Wilde and his wife Jane. While studying at Oxford, he was fascinated by the aesthetic movement and eventually became a proponent for L'art pour l'art ("Art for Art's Sake") and wrote the award-winning poem "Ravenna." U ...

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Author

Vyvyan Holland

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