No longer booking
  • Venue Park Theatre, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 22 August 2026
  • Running time 1hr 50min

Book now for The Importance of Being Oscar, Micheál Mac Liammóir’s acclaimed one-man portrait of Oscar Wilde, starring Alastair Whatley in a strictly limited London season at the Park Theatre.

The Importance of Being Oscar in London

Oscar Wilde became an icon after his death, but the life he lived was far more dramatic than anything he ever wrote. This funny and fiercely moving one-man show conjures Wilde back to life, tracing his extraordinary journey from fame, glamour and romance to downfall, imprisonment and exile. Following an acclaimed sell-out run at Jermyn Street Theatre and a national tour, the production arrives at London’s Park Theatre for a strictly limited season from 22 July to 22 August 2026.

At its heart is a tour-de-force central performance from Alastair Whatley, Artistic Director of Original Theatre, whose portrayal has been hailed as “truly magnificent” and “phenomenal to watch” by Theatre and Tonic. Directed by Michael Fentiman (Amélie, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), the production tells Wilde’s story through his own words and those of his fiercest champion, the fabled Irish writer Micheál Mac Liammóir, weaving in excerpts from many of his best-loved works.
First written and performed by Mac Liammóir himself, who played it more than 600 times around the world between 1960 and 1976, this legendary play helped redefine attitudes towards a man whose life became his greatest work of art. This staging marks the first major London revival in over 25 years.

What to expect

Expect an intimate, beautifully crafted portrait laced with Wilde’s signature wit and wisdom, featuring excerpts from An Ideal Husband, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Moving between the sparkling comedy of Wilde’s writing and the tragedy of his final years, it builds to a stark, deeply affecting account of his imprisonment. Experience Oscar as you’ve never seen him before: real, raw and defiant.

Book The Importance of Being Oscar tickets

The Importance of Being Oscar plays a strictly limited season at the Park Theatre from 22 July to 22 August 2026, opening on 27 July. With an intimate venue and a short run following a hit London staging and national tour, early booking is recommended.

Oscar Wilde was a dandy of speech, of manner, of dress, and, above all, of intellect. He fell in love with eccentric socialites, arrived in America with “nothing to declare except my genius,” and found worldwide success as the most celebrated playwright of his age. But this is also the story of how that life of fame, glamour and romance led him to become an imprisoned outcast.

Told largely in the shadow of Reading Gaol, where Wilde was imprisoned, The Importance of Being Oscar immerses audiences in a compelling journey through the loves and losses, triumphs and struggles of an extraordinary man. Drawing on Wilde’s own letters and writings, many unpublished for decades, alongside excerpts from his best-loved works, it is a beautiful tribute to an icon of the theatre, liberally laced with his wit and wisdom.

Written and originally performed by the fabled Irish actor and writer Micheál Mac Liammóir, the play carries a remarkable legacy of its own, and returns here in a production that reveals Wilde as never before: real, raw and defiant.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of The Importance of Being Oscar?

  • Oscar Wilde: Alastair Whatley (Birdsong, The Importance of Being Earnest, Henry V )

Who are the creative team of The Importance of Being Oscar?

  • Writer: Micheál Mac Liammóir
  • Director: Michael Fentiman (Amélie, Jekyll & Hyde, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

Important Notes

The production explores mature themes from Oscar Wilde’s life, including his trial and imprisonment.

Venue Information

Park Theatre , Clifton Terrace, London, N4 3JP

Nearest Tube or Train: Finsbury Park (National Rail, Victoria Line, Piccadilly Line)

Nearest Buses: 210, W3, W10, 4, 29, 153, 253, 254, 259, N23, N253, N279

Directions

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Importance of Being Oscar is playing at the Park Theatre in London
The running time of The Importance of Being Oscar is 1hr 50min
Yes, The Importance of Being Oscar has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, The Importance of Being Oscar has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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