A universal favourite, The Importance of Being Earnest displays Oscar Wilde0s wit and theatrical genius at their brilliant best. Subtitled ?A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,? this hilarious attack on Victorian manners and morals turns a pompous world on its head, lets duplicity lead to happiness, and makes riposte the highest form of art. Written, according to Wilde, ?by a butterfly for butterflies,? it is a dazzling masterpiece of comic entertainment. Although it was originally written in four acts, The Importance of Being Earnest is usually performed in a three-act version. This authoritative edition features an appendix that restores valuable lines that appeared in the original. Also included in this special collection are Wilde's first comedy succe