Cast Announced For Major Revival of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at Theatr Clwyd

Today, Theatr Clwyd announced the full cast for a major new revival of Oscar Wilde's classic masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest which opens on 9 May, with previews from 4 May, and runs until 27 May. Rising star director Richard Fitch directs Gavin and Stacey's Melanie Walters, in the role of Miss Prism and she is joined by James Backway (Algernon Moncrieff), Robyn Cara (Cecily), Emma Denly (Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax), Nick Harris (Merriman & Lane), Matt Jessup (Jack), Darren Lawrence (Chasuble) and Hilary Maclean (Lady Bracknall).

'To lose one parent, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.'

Jack Worthing is desperately in love with Gwendolen, there's only one small problem.

His name isn't Ernest...

Oscar Wilde's comic farce about double lives, friendship and discovering who you are is brought to life in this new Theatr Clwyd production.

Melanie Walters returns to Theatr Clwyd to play Miss Prism. She is most well known for her role as Gwen in Gavin and Stacey and her previous work for the company includes Blue Remembered Hills. Her other theatre credits include Before I Leave, The Iliad (National Theatre Wales), The Rivals, Sailor Beware (Chester Gateway), An Evening with Gary Lineker, Blood Brothers (Sherman Theatre), The Merchant of Venice (Aberystwyth Arts), Canterbury Tales, Rape Of The Fair Country and Educating Rita (Swansea Grand) and Shadow of a Gunman (Tricycle Theatre). For television her credits include Doc Martin, Under Milk Wood, Being Human, Stella, Dirty Work, Jack of Hearts, Back Up, Dangerfield, The Healer, Tender Loving Care, Broken Glass. For film her credits include Watcher in the Woods, Burn Burn Burn, High Tide, Another Me, Resistance, Submarine, Rampage.

James Backway plays Algernon Moncrieff. Recent theatre credits include The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare's Globe), War Horse (National Theatre/West End), Watership Down (The Watermill Theatre), Is There Wifi in Heaven? (National Theatre) and The Sound of Music (London Palladium). His television credits include Humans; and for film Litte Sh*t.

Robyn Cara plays Cecily. She recently graduated from Birmingham School of Acting. Her theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Mercury Theatre Colchester), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Action to The Word/Latitude Festival/National River Stage).

Emma Denly plays Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax. Her theatre credits include Henry I (RBL Theatre Co.), Macbeth (Sam Wanamaker Festival, Shakespeare's Globe), Twelfth Night (Pendley Shakespeare Festival) and Archipelago (Jersey Arts Centre).

Nick Harris plays Merriman & Lane. His theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing and Love's Labour's Lost (RSC - Theatre Royal Haymarket / Chichester Festival Theatre), Posh (Barons Court Theatre) and Teddy Ferrara (Donmar Warehouse). For television his credits include Taboo; and for film Denial and White Island.

Matt Jessup plays Jack. His theatre credits include The Railway Children (King's Cross Theatre), Love For Love (Bristol Old Vic Theatre Royal), Strawberry and Chocolate, The Boy on the Swing (Tobacco Factory Theatre), Timon of Athens (National Theatre), Only On Sundays (Birmingham REP) and Orpheus and Eurydice (Old Vic Tunnels). His television credits include Genius: Einstein and Summer in Transylvania; and for film his credits include City of Ember and Dread.

Darren Lawrence returns to Theatr Clwyd to play Chasuble. His previous work for the company includes Season's Greetings. His other theatre credits include That Day We Sang, A Thousand Slimy Things (Manchester Royal Exchange), The Village Social and The Passion (National Theatre Wales), Elegies For Angels, Punks, Raging Queens (BlackBox, Belfast), The Beach (Cockpit Theatre), Erogenous Zones, All's Fair (Sherman Theatre), Saturday Night Forever (Sherman Theatre and New York). His television credits include Ordinary Lies, Days That Shook The World, Broken Glass, Cucumber, Lipstick on Your Collar and Nuts and Bolts. His film credits include The Gospel of Us.

Hilary Maclean plays Lady Bracknall. Her theatre credits include The Autumn Garden (Jermyn Street Theatre), Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre), Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Poor Superman (Manchester Royal Exchange), Bloody Sunday and The Colour of Justice (Tricycle Theatre), Life is a Dream (Edinburgh Royal Lyceum, Barbican and BAM, New York), The Conquest of the South Pole (Traverse Theatre and Royal Court), Great Expectations (Traverse, Middle and Far East tour), Bondagers (Traverse, Canada and Hungary), Ines de Castro (Traverse and Riverside Studios), Grave Plots (Nottingham Playhouse) and Boys Stuff (Sheffield Crucible). For television her credits includes Torchwood, Lip Service, Dangerfield, Monarch of the Glen, Half Moon Investigations, The Creative, Arthur and George, Alibi, Dr Finlay and Outlander.

Richard Fitch directs and has recently been the tour director for the UK and Ireland tour of the smash hit, West End production of, Funny Girl. Other credits include Barnes' People, The Moment Before I'm Powerful (Trafalgar Transformed), Serious Heroes, 24 Hour Plays (The Old Vic), A Kid Like Jake (The TS Eliot US/UK Exchange, The Old Vic), Land's End (Birmingham REP), Last Man on the Heygate (Lyric Hammersmith), The Hour of Feeling (HighTide Festival with Public Theater, New York), The Welsh Atlantis (Latitude Festival) and The Boy Who Lived Down the Lane (Riverside Studios & Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore).

www.theatrclwyd.com