Oscar Wilde’s sparkling comedy comes to Horsham’s North Heath Hall

The Saturday performance takes place in the garden to celebrate the group’s 35th anniversary.

The garden will be open from 4.30pm and theatre lovers are invited to bring picnics and blankets.

The performance starts at 6pm and there will be a bar and refreshments.

The Friday show takes place, as usual, in the venue’s main hall at 7.30pm.

The Importance of Being Earnest tells the story of two bachelors – the dependable John Worthing, J.P. and the upper-class playboy Algernon Moncrieff – who feel compelled to create different identities in order to pursue two eligible ladies – Cecily Cardew and Gwendolyn Fairfax.

Hilarious misadventures result from their subterfuge. Their brushes with the redoubtable Lady Bracknell and the uptight Miss Prism punctuate a serpentine plot that fizzes with some of the finest dialogue in theatre.

Director Craig Bunce said: “Manor is about friendship, teamwork, support, hard work and achievement. It’s about pushing yourself to challenges, step by step, and arriving at the top at the right moment.

“It is a very rewarding undertaking.

“I have been part of the group since 2005 and have done everything to do with production over the years that you could imagine. The only thing I had shied away from was directing, until now.

“It has been my extraordinary privilege to have been entrusted with this particular show and to watch the characters come to life and take shape over the months and I thank those involved for their hard work, dedication and fantastic performances that they have produced.

“This is a play that we have talked about now for some years and it is very dear to our hearts. Well, it’s very dear to many people’s hearts! One of the most loved plays that has been produced and we hope that the warmth for it comes across.”

Kathryn Felton, who plays Cecily, said: “This is possibly our most ambitious production to date, purely for the fact that we usually do performances in a proscenium arch in a theatre space.

“This is outside with a very minimal set. Its going to be using the garden and the natural resources we have in the garden to complement the fact that part of the play does actually take place outside.

“It’s really exciting that for 35 years of the group we are now doing something that is completely new to most of us.”

North Heath Hall is in St Marks Lane, Horsham.

If light rain is predicted for the Saturday performance, please bring an umbrella. Heavy rain will result in the performance taking place in the main hall. No Dogs (except guide dogs).

Tickets £12, concessions £9.

Call the box office on 07771 524491 or visit www.manorhorsham.com.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page

3 Follow us on Twitter

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

Be part of it.