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The Importance of Being Earnest review

“Shallow laughs firmly over substance”
ReviewsOct 1, 202510:50 by Dave FargnoliNoël Coward Theatre, London
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Olly Alexander in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Noël Coward Theatre, London. Photo: Marc Brenner
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Olly Alexander in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Noël Coward Theatre, London. Photo: Marc Brenner
Olly Alexander and Stephen Fry star in this unsubtle and inelegant version of Oscar Wilde’s greatest comedy

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Dave Fargnoli

Dave Fargnoli

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Dave Fargnoli

Dave Fargnoli

Theatre critic

Dave Fargnoli is a freelance theatre critic, playwright, and associate writer for The Stage. His own award-nominated plays have seen production in London and Edinburgh, and have toured to rural venues across Scotland. With almost two decades’ experience as a critic, Dave has reviewed shows all over the UK and internationally, from grand spectacles with cutting-edge effects to fringe productions with lo-fi aesthetics. He was the winner of The Stage's Critic Search 2015. 

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