You can now watch a free stream of The Importance of Being Earnest, a National Theatre production directed by Max Webster and featuring Ncuti Gatwa.
A filmed version of the performance, recorded during its winter 2024/25 run at the National Theatre, will be released on YouTube worldwide starting March 12, 2026, as part of the Take Your Seats program.
The premiere will also be streamed online at 7pm GMT, with a live chat and polls for viewers to participate in.
You can watch the stream for free until March 18th. It will then become available to National Theatre at Home members on March 19th.
This new version of Oscar Wilde’s play features Ncuti Gatwa as Algernon Moncrieff, alongside Sharon D Clarke (known from Doctor Who), Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́ (of Blues for an Alabama Sky), Eliza Scanlen (from Little Women), and Hugh Skinner (who starred in Fleabag).
After a successful showing at the National Theatre, the play The Importance of Being Earnest was broadcast to cinemas around the world as part of National Theatre Live, and seen by more than 175,000 viewers.
The play moved to the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West End, where it was performed from September 18, 2025, to January 10, 2026. The talented cast included Olly Alexander, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Hugh Dennis, Shobna Gulati, Kitty Hawthorne, Jessica Whitehurst, Hayley Carmichael, and Stephen Fry.
Take Your Seats first launched in 2023, with previous free streams including Othello and Nye.
Ncuti Gatwa landed a significant role in The Importance of Being Earnest shortly after finishing his work on Doctor Who’s fifteenth season.
Besides his role on Doctor Who, the actor has appeared in the comedy film The Roses, alongside Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch. He also played Christopher Marlowe in the play Born With Teeth, which explored the famous rivalry between Marlowe and William Shakespeare. The play was performed at London’s Wyndham Theatre last year.
In addition to current work, future projects include the HBO and BBC series First Day On Earth, and a biographical film called The Queen of Fashion about British fashion icon Isabella Blow.
Authors
Molly Moss writes about the newest trends in television, movies, and other entertainment for TopMob. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has also contributed to major publications like The Guardian, The Times, and The Sun Online.
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2026-02-19 18:34