Oscar Wilde is a man renowned for his wit, and it's on sparkling display in Original Theatre Company's production of The Importance of Being Earnest, which runs at The Courtyard until Saturday.

This is an elegantly constructed comedy of manners, the surface froth and giddiness of which softens Wilde's incisive observations about the pretensions of the society he inhabited at the same time delivering plenty of cleverly crafted laugh out loud moments.

To escape the constraints of polite society Jack Worthing and his friend Algernon Moncrieff have both, independently and unknown to each other, invented, in Jack's case, a dissolute brother and in Algernon's, an ailing friend. These inventions have been conjured up to allow an easy escape from more 'earnest' - serious - responsibilities, but love is about to force them to dismantle their alternative realities.

Jack, known as Ernest in London where he goes to leave behind the responsibility of his young ward Cecily, has fallen in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, but when her mother Lady Bracknell discovers the truth of his start in life, found in a handbag at Victoria Station, she forbids the match.

Algernon, meanwhile, has forced Jack to reveal the existence of his ward and his interest is sufficiently piqued to head to the countryside to meet Cecily for himself, arriving just ahead of Jack - in mourning for his 'brother' who has suddenly died. Cue yet more confusion, as Algernon, claiming to be Jack's brother Ernest, has already proposed to Cecily!

When Gwendolen arrives, followed swiftly by Lady Bracknell, the scene is set for a major fallout between the two young women, both believing themselves affianced to Ernest, while in reality neither is, Ernest being a figment of everyone's imagination ... only the arrival of Miss Prism and a dramatic revelation brings resolution, a potential happy ever after and a recognition of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'.

This production fairly zips along, with every performance beautifully judged and slyly mannered - Gwen Taylor as Lady Bracknell has the near impossible task of responding to the news of Jack's discovery in a handbag, but her snigger and quickly muffled laughter did the job perfectly, while Thomas Howes and Peter Sandys-Clarke inhabited their young fops' over the top clothes and manners as if born to them. Kerry Ellis, acclaimed star of West End musicals, proved equally adept at a straight role, with great comic timing and a good deal of charm, and Louise Coulthard gave Cecily a delicious mix of arch and ingenue. But the revelation was Susan Penhaligon almost stealing the show with her deft characterisation of the eccentric - and catastrophically careless - Miss Prism, extracting the last drop of both humour and hip flask, with Geoff Aymer a good foil as Canon Chasuble.

If you're in a need of a bit of sparkle, a little bit of escapism, look no further than The Courtyard and The Importance of Being Earnest.

To book, call the box office on 01432 340555 or visit courtyard.org.uk