CURRENT PRODUCTION
An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Patrick Briône
Tuesday 14th - Saturday 18th May
Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre
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“Even you are not rich enough, Sir Robert, to buy back your past. No man is.”
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Sir Robert Chiltern has it all – wealth, charm, a glowing political career and a wife who idolises him, above all for his apparently impeccable virtue and morally upstanding nature. Into his seemingly perfect life, however, arrives the scheming, scandalous and seductive Mrs Cheveley; a woman who scorns the hypocritical moralising of the age and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. And a woman who knows a dangerous secret about Robert’s past that threatens to bring his whole world crashing down…
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Written by Oscar Wilde in 1894, An Ideal Husband is a biting satire of Victorian politics, morality and relationships. With almost every line a quotable example of Wilde’s famous wit, the hilarious dialogue sits atop a much weightier story, combining both deep cynicism about British society and inspiring hope in the redeeming power of love and forgiveness.
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“Other people are quite dreadful. The only possible society is oneself. To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”
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The play, with its story of a celebrated man leading a double life with a scandal waiting to be exposed, mirrors in a way Wilde’s own life. On the last day of the play’s opening run in 1895, Wilde was arrested for gross indecency after the exposure of his homosexual lifestyle, bringing a tragically early end to his own brilliant career.
Cast
Crew
Sir Robert Chiltern - Joe Dillon
Lady Gertrude Chiltern - Emma Bugg
Lord Goring - Josh Mallalieu
Mabel Chiltern - Zoe Spencer
Mrs Cheveley - Philippa Jones
Lord Caversham - Guy Robarts
Lady Markby - Georgina Macfarlane
Lady Basildon - Christina Jenkins
Mrs Marchmont - Jasmine Stock
Mason - Shehrry Javid
Mr Montford/Phipps - Richard Vaughan-Payne
Vicomte de Nanjac/Harold - Dan Rhodes
Director - Patrick Briône
Assistant Director - Natalie Romero
Stage Manager - Harry Cowper
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