CLASSIC comedy The Importance Of Being Earnest is the latest offering by Clacton Amateur Dramatic Society when it comes to the West Cliff stage next week.

The best known and best loved of Oscar Wilde’s comedies, it was first performed in 1895 and tells the story of bachelors Jack Worthing (Charlie Vaughan) and Algernon Moncrieff (Nathen Johns), who create alter-egos called Ernest to escape their tiresome lives.

They attempt to win the hearts of two young women, Gwendolen Fairfax (Maria Christina Ava Lara) and Cecily Cardew (Kerryalice Hartnett) who both claim they could only love men named Ernest.

But the dastardly duo struggle to keep up with their own stories and become entangled in a web of deception, disguise and misadventure ... with hilarious results.

Clacton Amateur Dramatic Society celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

Vicky Tearle plays the irrepressible Lady Bracknell, Brenda White-Robinson is Letitia Prism, Frank Bye is Dr Frederick Chasuble and Keith Sippitt doubles up as Merriman the butler and manservant Lane.

The production runs from March 22 to 25 with performances at 7.30pm and a 2.30pm Saturday matinee.

Tickets are £9 from the box office on 01255 433344.