Max Webster is the directorial hotshot who gave us the high-risk, low-decibel Macbeth at the Donmar – starring David Tennant – and reaped the deserved reward of a West End transfer, still running. Winging from infernal interiority,

Ncuti Gatwa is back on stage in a new production of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” at London’s National Theatre, and first-look images have been released ahead of the play’s opening night on Thursday.

The National Theatre's sparkling production shakes up Oscar Wilde's classic comedy - and leans into its permissiveness and same-sex attractions

The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre review: Ncuti Gatwa stars in a fizzing production - 4/5 Expect Bridgerton-style colourblind casting and sexual fluidity in this radical reinvent

Max Webster’s superb cast anchors an innuendo-laden production that leans into slapstick and visual gags with relish

Max Webster’s revival of the Oscar Wilde classic runs at the Lyttelton Theatre until 25 January – and will then be screened in cinemas