The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest is a classic Comedy-of-Manners by Oscar Wilde. It was first performed for the public on February 14, 1895 at the St. James' Theatre in London. The play, written in either three or four acts, depending on edition, is regarded by many critics and scholars as being the wittiest play in the English language.

Four-act version

When the play was originally performed, it was in four acts. The "missing" extra act, coming between the current second and third, contained an extra character, Mr Grimsby the solicitor, who turns up from London with bills run up by "Ernest" (Jack) and attempts to get "Ernest" (Algernon) to pay them. The play was edited down to its current three-act form early in the original run, but the four-act version is still sometimes performed.

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