 After the success of Wilde 's plays Lady Windermere 's Fan and A Woman of No Importance , Wilde 's producers urged him to write further plays . In July 1894 he mooted his idea for The Importance of Being Earnest to George Alexander , the actor @-@ manager of the St James 's Theatre . Wilde spent the summer with his family at Worthing , where he wrote the play quickly in August . His fame now at its peak , he used the working title Lady Lancing to avoid pre @-@ emptive speculation of its content . Many names and ideas in the play were borrowed from people or places the author had known ; Lady Queensberry , Lord Alfred Douglas 's mother , for example , lived at Bracknell . There is widespread agreement among Wilde scholars that the most important influence on the play was W. S. Gilbert 's 1877 farce Engaged ; Wilde borrowed from Gilbert not only several incidents but , in Russell Jackson 's phrase " the gravity of tone demanded by Gilbert of his actors " . 
 After the success of Wilde <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>plays Lady Windermere <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>Fan and A Woman of No Importance , Wilde <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>producers urged him to write further plays . In July 1894 he mooted his idea for The Importance of Being Earnest to George Alexander , the actor @-@ manager of the St James <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>Theatre . Wilde spent the summer with his family at Worthing , where he wrote the play quickly in August . His fame now at its peak , he used the working title Lady Lancing to avoid pre @-@ emptive speculation of its content . Many names and ideas in the play <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> borrowed from people or <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>places</mark></a> the author <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>had</mark></a> known ; Lady Queensberry , Lord Alfred Douglas <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>mother , for example , lived at Bracknell . <a href='dey_it' title='9'><mark>There</mark></a> is widespread agreement among Wilde scholars that the most important influence on the play was W. S. Gilbert <a href='null_genetive' title='10'><mark>'s</mark></a>1877 farce Engaged ; Wilde borrowed from Gilbert not only several incidents but , in Russell Jackson <a href='null_genetive' title='11'><mark>'s</mark></a>phrase " the gravity of tone demanded by Gilbert of his actors " . 
After da success of Wilde  plays Lady Windermere  Fan and A Woman of No Importance , Wilde  producers urged him to write further plays . In July 1894 he mooted his idea fir The Importance of Being Earnest to George Alexander , tdaactor @-@ manager of the St James  Theatre . Wilde spent the summer w his fam at Worthing , where he wrote the play quickly in August . His fame now at its peak , he used thdaorking title Lady Lancing to avoid pre @-@ emptive speculation of its content . Many names and ideas in the play was borrowed from people or place thedathor done known ; Lady Queensberry , Lord Alfred Douglas  mother , fir example , lived at Bracknell . It is widespread agreement among Wilde scholars dat the most important influence on the day was wid. S. Gilbert  1877 farce Engaged ; Wilde borrowed from Gilbert not only several incidents but , in Russell Jackson  phrase " the gdaity of tone demanded by Gilbert of his actors " .