Stratford's Importance of Being Earnest Broadway-bound

Brian Bedford's gender-bending turn as Lady Bracknell is headed for Broadway.

The British-born Stratford Shakespeare Festival veteran will reprise his turn as Oscar Wilde's flamboyant and formidable matron in The Importance of Being Earnest in New York next year.

The Tony Award-winning Bedford both starred in and helmed the Stratford Festival's production of Earnest in 2009, winning acclaim for both his portrayal and for his direction.

The revival will join the Roundabout Theatre Company's 2011 season, the U.S. troupe announced on Monday.

According to Roundabout artistic director Todd Haimes, the production will open for a limited engagement in winter 2011 at the American Airlines Theatre.

"The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is obviously a prestigious company, and I've had great respect for [the company's] work over the years. So in the particular case of Earnest, it's exciting to me to be able to collaborate with that institution and give [Roundabout's] audience the opportunity to see great work that they otherwise would not have access to," he said in a statement.

The revival will also feature other actors from the original Canadian production, he said.