ARTS Alive and The Market Theatre in Ledbury present the hugely popular company The Pantaloons, in Oscar Wilde’s comic masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest.

"You must not laugh at me, darling, but it had always been a girlish dream of mine to love someone whose name was Ernest..."

Everybody loves Ernest. The only trouble is, he doesn't exist. Or does he? The Importance of Being Earnest gets a fresh look from this young, vibrant theatre company, in their critically acclaimed anarchic take on the classic comedy of manners. An energetic show, full of Wildean wit plus a few Pantaloony surprises including singing butlers, travel by means of musical montage and a post-interval Hollywood-style recap.....

The Pantaloons draw from a wide variety of popular theatre traditions, from Commedia Dell'arte and pantomime to stand-up comedy and silent movies, to bring a vital sense of 'play' back to classical performance. They aim to recapture an aspect of Shakespeare's drama which the modern naturalistic theatre has lost: the riotous energy of the clown – and have found that tapping into this rich vein of anarchic humour can have a strangely moving and uplifting effect, reminding players and audience that we are all simply participants in a game of make-believe.

Join in the game with The Pantaloons at Ledbury's Market Theatre on Saturday, April 2 at 8pm. To book, call the box office on 07967 517125 or visit themarkettheatre.com