ONE of English literature's most crowd-pleasing plays comes to Poole this week.

Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is the comic tale of two young men desperate to win the hands of their loves.

They create imaginary friends called earnest, whose 'presence' catches them out when they end up in the same place at the same time and their deception is discovered.

It is also one of the mainstays of English theatre and a natural must for anyone with a career on the stage.

"You would like to think of it like that wouldn't you," muses veteran actor Tony Britton, who plays Canon Chasuble in Middle Ground Theatre's adaptation of the popular play.

"But as with everything, you have to learn the play and be right for it. It doesn't always go without a slip. You have to rehearse and do it in a certain style and it doesn't always come easy."

Acting is something Tony has always wanted to do, ever since he won the role of Father Christmas in the festive play at kindergarten.

He joined an amateur dramatic group in Weston-super-Mare and then turned professional, appearing at The Old Vic and with the Royal Shakespeare Company on stage.

He has appeared in numerous British films from the 1950s onwards, including such classics as Sunday Bloody Sunday and The Day of the Jackal. Television audiences will remember him for the popular 1980s sitcom Don't Wait Up, which he shared Nigel Havers and Dinah Sheridan. His other sitcoms appearances include ...And Mother Makes Five and Robin's Nest, but his first love is stage work.

"I love it because it is where I have always wanted to be," he says. "Television is great fun and it helps you get your face known to many more people - you could even say it puts bums on seats - but most actors prefer the stage.

"On stage, you really have to act whereas on television, all you have to do is behave."

Although Tony came to theatre without any family involvement, he is utterly delighted that his two children, Fern and Jasper, are making names for themselves in the entertainment business.

Fern, who is married to TV chef Phil Vickery and was voted UK's favourite big and beautiful celebrity' is the popular presenter of the Breakfast TV show This Morning.

Jasper has gone down the theatrical route and is making a name for himself on stage, having been highly acclaimed after his performance in Becket with Toby Stephens, the son of Dame Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens.

"It is wonderful to see the second generation coming through and doing so well," says Tony. "It's in their blood.

"I was very pleased when both mine decided to follow me because I could see, from an early age, that both had what was necessary.

"With Fern, when you see her on television in the mornings, she is just being herself, because with her, what you see is what you get."

He adds: "Jasper is different in that he is on stage but even when he was growing up and in school plays, I knew that he had it.

"He is now doing very well and it is wonderful to see people sitting up and taking notice of his talent, which I knew he had all along."

The Importance of Being Earnest is at Lighthouse, Poole, from tomorrow until Saturday, October 13. Performances are at 7.30pm with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30. Tickets are £15.50 for evening shows, £10.50 for the matinees plus concessions. Call 08700 668701 for bookings and full details.