When a traditional production of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, The Importance of Being Earnest, begins, everything seems to be going perfectly to plan… that is, until the lead actor fails to arrive on cue.

Firstly, a big thanks to the Adelaide Fringe for sending us a media pass to cover the 2026 season! Another year, another wave of local, interstate and international productions come to entertain us during (almost) Mad March! To kick off the Adelaide Fringe, UK art group Say It Again, Sorry? has brought their show for the first time in Australia. It's safe to say that ...Earnest? lives up to the promise of being WILD(E)!

As an interactive show, the creative team cleverly blurred the line between improvised and planned chaos as they brought up audience members to play the parts of various roles. While it took the crowd to gradually warm up for what was to come, the laughs and reactions became more enthusiastic as the runtime continued. There may be some gags that might push the limits for the crowd, especially one moment that could literally cause you to gag, but the fourth-wall jokes made for some memorable moments. 

While being picked to perform on stage sounds intimidating, especially if you've never seen or read the various iterations of The Importance of Being Earnest, the cast embraces and playfully leads the crowd member. While some people seemed more enthusiastic than others, the new cast members were good sports in participating in the madness. There's no doubt that each show would be unique with who they bring on stage. 

Overall, ...Earnest? is a creative and often hilarious take on Oscar Wilde's play, allowing the audience to put their high school/ university studies to the test. If you're a fan of shows like Sh*t Faced Shakespeare, I can say that ...Earnest? is a worthy successor.