Review: An Ideal Husband

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of An Ideal Husband.
An Ideal Husband is part of a series of plays which have been put on by the Classic Spring Theatre Company as part of the Oscar Wilde Theatre Season at the Vaudeville Theatre. Whilst I sadly missed their first production of 'A Woman of No Importance', I was fortunate enough to catch their production of 'Lady Windermere's Fan' back in February. I had absolutely adored Lady Windermere's Fan, and therefore I was quite keen on the idea of seeing their new production of An Ideal Husband.

The strongest aspect of  An Ideal Husband is, undoubtedly, its phenomenal cast. This production has been very wall cast; all of the cast members within the show seem very well suited to their individual parts. There were no weak links amongst the cast whatsoever and some extremely powerful performances were provided. In the leading role of Sir Robert Chiltern is Nathaniel Parker, a performer who is visibly very skilled. Parker excels at both the comedic elements of the play, as well the more serious moments, demonstrating his versatility as an actor. Throughout the play, Parker is able to provide an exceedingly powerful portrayal. Portraying Lady Chiltern, the strong and moral wife of Robert Chiltern, is Sally Bretton. Bretton is tremendously believable as Lady Chiltern, and seemed rather well-suited to the character.  Portraying the play's main antagonist Mrs. Cheveley is Frances Barber. Barber is outstanding in this role, creating a very convincing characterisation. As the Chilterns' best friend and confidant Viscount Goring is Freddie Fox. Similar to Nathaniel Parker, Fox is very versatile, handling both the comedic and serious elements of the play tremendously well. In my eyes, it was Fox that stole the show. He's funny, he's got great comic timing and he's charismatic; he had everything needed for a leading actor. Freddie Fox appears alongside his father, Edward Fox, who portrays the Earl of Caversham (who happens to be the father of Freddie Fox's character, Viscount Goring). Despite being the oldest cast member on the stage, Edward Fox is still full of life and energy, providing laughter for the audience from beginning to end! Starring as Miss Mabel Chiltern is Faith Omole, an actress who happens to be making her West End debut! It is amazing to think that this is the first time that she is appearing on a West End stage, as she was truly terrific. The role of Miss Mabel Chiltern seemed to be the perfect role for her to showcase her talents.

An Ideal Husband follows ambitious government minister Sir Robert Chiltern, who is on an assured smooth ascent to the top... this is until Mrs. Cheveley appeared in London with damning proof of his previous financial chicanery. Mrs. Cheveley threatens to tell the press of Chiltern's past, unless he puts his support behind a project that he is personally against. I personally found the storyline to be very interesting to follow. There are themes of feminism throughout the play, something which appears to a recurring theme throughout Oscar Wilde's plays. His accurate portrayal of society in that era makes for an interesting comparison to today's modern society. I did find that the story of An Ideal Husband took a while to gain traction, however once it develops and picks up the pace it becomes truly fascinating.

I was rather impressed by both the set and costume designs. Both the sets and the costumes were kept very true to the era in which the play was written, making it feel like this was exactly how the production would have been performed when it was first written. The set design is exactly how houses in the 1890s would have looked like and the costumes were very authentic and created to perfection. It was exactly how Oscar Wilde would have intended it to be.

I am pleased to say that this was yet another hit by the Classic Spring Theatre Company! Their final production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' will begin in late July and I cannot wait to see it!

The featured star of An Ideal Husband is, drum roll please... FREDDIE FOX!

Personally, I felt that Freddie Fox completely stole the show. It almost seemed as if he had been born to play the role of Viscount Goring; he seemed so utterly perfect for it. He was a joy to watch whenever he entered onto the stage!

Now for my final verdict on An Ideal Husband. I give An Ideal Husband!

This production of An Ideal Husband features one of the strongest casts on a West End stage currently performing. There are many outstanding performances and I would personally argue that the acting is worth the ticket price alone.

Think it should have got a lower rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer