OSCAR Wilde's much-loved comedy classic The Importance of Being Earnest is at Salisbury Playhosue this week.

Gwen Taylor stars as the fearsome Lady Bracknell alongside Susan Penhaligon as Mrs Prism.

The much-loved comedy follows Jack Worthing’s endeavours to marry Algernon’s cousin, the beautiful Gwendolen. But first he must convince Lady Bracknell of his respectability.

Gwen is best known for playing the title role in the ITV sitcom Barbara, as well as Anne Foster in Coronation Street, Peggy Armstrong in Heartbeat, Rita Simcock in A Bit of A Do, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA TV Best Actress Award, and Amy in Duty Free.

She says it is "wonderful" to play the role of Lady Bracknell.

"She is an iconic figure to be asked to play," explains Gwen. "She is described as a gorgon, she is a woman desperate to get her only daughter married to somebody of good background and lots of money. And she is very angry because her daughter has fallen in love with someone who is neither of those things so she is trying to stop this love affair."

But, Gwen, who has also appeared in films including The Lady in the Van and Monty Python's Life of Brian, admits the role did frighten her.

"I was a little frightened of the role and when you get to my age you don't get too many things that frighten you. It is a challenge and I enjoy the challenge very much."

Despite the challenges she says that it has been a "joy".

And she says her extraordinary costume has also added to the challenge of the role.

"I have the biggest bustle and the tallest hat in the world so I have a bit of a problem on stage," says Gwen.

"I have to be careful where I stand. It is quite an extraordinary costume."

She says she has to be very careful not to bang into anything especially in the smaller theatres as she wouldn't want to lose her hat on stage.

This will be a return visit to Salisbury Playhouse for Gwen, who starred as Mrs Bramson in Luke Sheppard's touring production of Emlyn Williams’s Night Must Fall in 2016.

Starring alongside Gwen and Susan is Hannah Louise Howell as Gwendolen and Geoff Aymer, Louise Coulthard, Thomas Howes, Peter Sandys-Clarke and Simon Shackleton.

The production is directed by Alastair Whatley.

Gwen says: "Audiences can expect to laugh and to enjoy a play about the mores of a certain time which have some resonances for today. It is a play about money and status, and town versus country and women versus men to a certain extent."

The Importance of Being Earnest runs it the Main House at Salisbury Playhouse from Tuesday, March 20 until Saturday, March 24.

Tickets are available by calling the box office on 01722 320333 or by visiting salisburyplayhouse.com