After Algernon discovers that his friend Ernest, has created a fictional brother for whenever he needs a reason to escape dull country life, Algernon poses as the brother, resulting in ever-increasing confusion.

Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff are two men that are both pretending to be someone they are not.—Simone Denvile

Ernest Worthing is in love with Gwendolen, Lady Bracknell's daughter, and wants to marry her. Unfortunately, Lady Bracknell does not approve. Almost as unfortunate, his name's not Ernest, it's John. Meanwhile, Worthing's best friend Algernon Moncrieff pretends to be Ernest in order to capture the affections of Worthing's ward, Cecily Cardew.—grantss

In Victorian England, Jack Worthing has not told anyone that he has only assumed the name Ernest Worthing when at his Albany home in London to be able to carry on shamelessly not becoming of his country life as Jack Worthing, the ward of impressionable Cecily Cardew, now eighteen. He has only told Cecily the lie that Ernest Worthing is his estranged brother. As such, all of his London friends and acquaintances, including Gwendolen Fairfax, who he would like to marry, only know him as Ernest Worthing. Beyond his name, Jack will have to overcome any objections by Gwendolen's strict by-the-books mother, Lady Augusta Bracknell, to marry Gwendolen. His best friend in London, Algernon Moncrieff, Gwendolen's cousin, discovers this ruse and decides, without telling Jack, to use it for his own benefit in wanting to court Cecily by going to Jack's country home and pretending to be Ernest Worthing, Jack's excitingly dangerous brother. As one by one all the players descend on Jack's country home further complicating matters, Jack and Algernon will learn that not being named Ernest may be a problem in getting to the altar, and that Cecily's long time nanny, Miss Letitia Prism, will add to those complications through a past association.—Huggo