Season 68 Play 7 – An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

An Ideal Husband
23rd – 28th May 2016

Directed by

Richard Thompson

Cast

Earl of Caversham – David Thomas
Viscount Goring – Lee Russell
Sir Robert Chiltern – Mark Rundle
Vicomte de Nanjac – Jude Connolly
Mason – Jacob Leeming
Phipps – Dan Lane
Lady Chiltern – Charlotte Stern
Lady Markby – Susan Wood
Mrs Marchmont – Barbara Boothroyd
Miss Mable Chiltern – Emily Broadwith
Mrs Chebeley – Carol Southby
Countess of Basildon – Muriel Thomas

Synopsis

‘An Ideal Husband” is a play written by Oscar Wilde. It is a comedy that takes place over a short period of time and involves blackmail and corruption. Sir Robert Chiltern and Lady Gertrude Chiltern are having a dinner party at their home in Grosvenor Square. A number of people attend the party at the Chiltern house including Mrs. Cheveley a childhood enemy of Lady Chiltern. Mrs. Cheveley has an ulterior motive; she plans to blackmail Sir Robert so that he will support a scheme for building a canal, which would benefit her. She feels she can blackmail Sir Robert because the letter she has will show that he earned his wealth illegally. From here on in the plot twists and turns. Blackmail , intrigue, romance, love and marriage intertwine in an engaging comic plot with the obligatory happy conclusion for this stylish Classic.

Directors Notes

Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband was first produced in 1895. It was a tale of upper class intrigue, political corruption, scandal and blackmail.

Not dissimilar in many ways to life in this day and age where there seem to be revelations of some sort or another around every corner.

Wilde addresses the issues of public and private morality as well as the rising role of women’s political involvement.

Set over four acts, Jacquie Howard and I, together with the whole team have tried to convey the moneyed culture of society at the time within the confines of our small(ish) space.

We would like to thank the National Museum, Stockholm for permission to reproduce ’The Triumph of Venus’ by Boucher

Thanks to Audrey Edwards of Bingley Flower Club (and Carol in the market) for her interpretation of my ridiculous idea for a couple of ‘small’ arrangements!!

As ever at BLT, thanks to all the cast and the entire crew for their dedication and ability to put up with my odd thought processes and use of the red pen to the script.