National Theatre transfer, directed by Max Webster, heads to the Noël Coward Theatre
Pop singer and actor Olly Alexander (It’s a Sin) is poised to make a dazzling West End turn as Algernon Moncrieff in the National Theatre’s hit production of The Importance of Being Earnest, transferring to the Noël Coward Theatre directed by Max Webster (Macbeth, Life of Pi, One Day The Musical).
As anticipation builds for the West End return of Oscar Wilde’s evergreen comedy of manners this September, Olly Alexander also fronts Tatler’s September issue, reflecting on stepping into Algernon’s spats, his London roots and what he’s learned from stage royalty.
Speaking to Tatler, Olly sketches what a suitably modern London itinerary for Wilde might be: “I think a walk on Hampstead Heath would be appropriate, then I’d like to take him to Chapter 10, or maybe Mighty Hoopla, in his smoking jacket.” It’s a quip that neatly bridges Wilde’s world with the city that shaped Alexander’s own. Moving to London at 18, he says, “I feel like a lot of my identity has been fostered in London… I was there every weekend, trying to find my people. It was just joyful chaos.”
Olly Alexander (The Importance of Being Earnest), on the cover of Tatler’s September issue. Photo by Oli Kearon, Stylist Sophie Pera
That sense of joy — and the unabashed appetite for play — feels tailor-made for Algernon, the cucumber-sandwiching protagonist of Wilde’s joyful comedy of manners. Under Webster, whose productions are known for their wit and propulsion, Alexander’s Algy promises plenty of fizz. And he’s bringing a lesson learned from Britain’s most beloved Dame to the Noël Coward stage, where as a young actor Olly starred in Michael Grandage’s production of Peter & Alice: “The best thing Judi Dench taught me was that you can be a legendary star and still be the most chill diva ever. She’s always down for a laugh, she loves a naughty joke.”
Alexander also speaks to Tatler about joy as a political act — an ethos that resonates with the buoyant spirit of Wilde’s comedy: “It can be easy to sneer at that proposition, but I actually think it’s more important than ever – joy as an act of resistance… We all deserve to have joy in our lives.” It’s a sentiment that feels right at home in a production where wordplay, romance and social satire whirl together with champagne-bubble effervescence.
Best known to many as a chart-topping musician, Eurovision entrant, and for his acclaimed performance in Russell T Davies’s Channel 4 hit It’s A Sin, Alexander frames Algernon not as a detour, but as an arrival, folding his pop-cultural charisma into a classic that still bites.
The Importance of Being Earnest starring Olly Alexander, in Tatler’s September issue. Photo by Oli Kearon, Stylist Sophie Pera
His reflections on acting carry a candid streak too: “I didn’t realise it until I went towards it, but I had inherited this fear around HIV and sex, which is connected to the shame I had about being gay… I never understood actors who say they brought their characters home with them until I did It’s a Sin.” That openness, part of what endears him to audiences, should add fresh shading to Wilde’s most incorrigible bachelor.
With Max Webster at the helm and the National Theatre’s momentum behind it, The Importance of Earnest looks set to be one of the most talked-about West End plays of the autumn, pairing Alexander’s effortless mischief with Wilde’s peerless wit.
The production proved to be a huge crowd-pleaser at the National Theatre, and also a hit with London’s theatre critics – read a round-up of The Importance of Being Earnest reviews, including five stars from the Daily Mail, and a slew of four-star reviews from critics at the Guardian, Times, TimeOut and more.
Joining director Max Webster in the creative team for the play are set and costume designer Rae Smith, lighting designer Jon Clark, sound designer Nicola T. Chang, music compositions by DJ Walde, movement director Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, physical comedy advisor Joyce Henderson, intimacy coordinator Ingrid Mackinnon, casting director Alastair Coomer CDG, dialect coach Hazel Holder, and voice coach Shereen Ibrahim.
Further casting for The Importance of Being Earnest is to be announced, and the show is produced in the West End by the National Theatre and the mighty Sonia Friedman Productions.
Read the interview here. For the full conversation, and more on Alexander’s London, mentors and mindset, pick up Tatler’s September issue, available via digital download and on newsstands from 7 August.
Booking tickets to The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest is playing at the Noel Coward Theatre in London from 8 September 2025 until 10 January 2026.
Book tickets to The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre London
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