'An Ideal Husband' review — this vibrant contemporary take brings resonance and dynamism to Wilde's witty comedy

Read our review of An Ideal Husband, directed by Nicholai La Barrie, now in performances at the Lyric Hammersmith to 6 June.

Summary

• Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband returns to the Lyric Hammersmith
• Nicholai La Barrie's contemporary all-Black production feels fresh and resonant
• Jamael Westman is great fun as the dandyish Lord Goring
• The production features energetic dance and a fantastic soundtrack

It’s exactly a century since Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband was last seen at the Lyric Hammersmith. The theatre’s associate director, Nicholai La Barrie, brings the play bang up to date with contemporary staging and an all-Black cast in this fresh and vibrant take on Wilde’s satirical comedy.

Highly respected cabinet minister Sir Robert Chiltern hides the shady origins of his success. When the wickedly ambitious Mrs Cheveley enters London society, she threatens to expose him, endangering the seemingly perfect life he has built for himself and his wife. As loyalties are tested, how far will Robert go to protect his reputation?

Wilde’s play was an attack on late-Victorian values, but much of his skewering is relevant today. We live in a world where politicians of every persuasion appear to lie to suit their own ends and others seem impervious to scandal. Wilde’s words have added resonance in this ultra-modern setting.

The character of Lord Robert Chiltern is inherently rather static, but Chiké Okonkwo is suitably dignified and makes the most of his one explosive scene where he berates his wife for not accepting human fallibility. Tamara Lawrance is upright and blinkered by her morality as Lady Gertrude Chiltern, a woman devoted to her husband but challenged by the revelations that come out.

Aurora Perrineau is striking as the scheming Mrs Cheveley. She switches between charm and snarling threat with alacrity, suggesting a woman cornered by her own ambition. But it’s a shame that in her haste to get the words out, Perrineau seems to swallow several lines.

Jamael Westman has the most fun as the dandyish Lord Goring, quipping with glee some of Wilde’s best lines. An aesthete, a dandy, but also a loyal friend, Westman shows natural flamboyance, enhanced by his excellent comic timing and sense of fun. As flirtatious Mabel Chiltern, Tiwa Lade is more than a match for his biting wit, combining great innocence with steely resolve.

The rest of the cast are full of energy. Emmanuel Akwafo camps up the small role of valet Phipps, and also brings weary distain to the put-upon butler Mason, while Jeff Alexander is constantly exasperated as the Earl of Caversham.

Music and movement form a significant part of the production, with dynamic dance breaks to illustrate some scene and set changes, and the soundtrack includes Corinne Bailey Rae and Soul II Soul. There’s even recorded vocal contributions from a smooth-voiced Trevor Nelson. Rajha Shakiry’s slick set and gorgeous costumes are highly stylish, using crisp tailoring, bold prints, and an array of feathers, tassels and lace.

La Barrie is respectful to Wilde’s vision of wit infused with tension, if leaning more towards the comedic mockery within the play than some other productions. References to Obama and Beyoncé nod to pop culture, and it’s lovely to hear many of Wilde’s words spoken with the warmth of a West Indian accent. You cannot help feeling Wilde would be delighted with this very modern puncturing of the balloon of political pomposity.

An Ideal Husband is at the Lyric Hammersmith to 6 June. Book An Ideal Husband tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: An Ideal Husband (Photos by Helen Murray)