AN IDEAL HUSBAND Review at Golden Goose Theatre 23/24 November 2025
'The ending lands, but the road there is bumpy.‘ ★★ ½
What happens when we put our loved ones on a pedestal?
That's the question behind An Ideal Husband, a social comedy by Oscar Wilde. When a blackmailer shows up, a devoted wife learns that her husband's past isn't as a spotless as she believed. Can he escape ruin? And can she forgive him for destroying the image she cherished? In typical Wilde fashion, the proceedings play out in a flurry of wry one-liners. Much of the mechanics revolve around the husband's bachelor friend, Lord Goring, who tries to save the day.
The production calls itself ‘a stripped down reimagining set in the rehearsal room, imbued with a gritty naturalism that juxtaposes with Wilde’s flamboyant prose’. That sounds promising, but it's (a) not quite true and (b) doesn't quite work.
Naturalism generally encourages you to forget that you're watching actors, well, act. This production does the opposite. The first half is essentially a staged reading: a row of tables, with the performers seated in one long line. Movement is rare. The second half breaks things up— literally. The tables are split apart and shoved to the sides. The actors zip around on their office chairs, chasing each other across the stage. Is it naturalistic? Of course not, but it's a lot more engaging than the static part that came before.
If the slow burn is intentional, it's a miscalculation. Seated actors winking at the audience, scripts in hand, can be entertaining—but not for an hour. The first half consequently drags, and it's difficult to get emotionally invested. What follows is more inventive. It also makes clever use of the staging concept to drive home a critique of Wilde's text. The ending lands, but the road there is bumpy.
That being said, the cast is generally excellent. Lizzie MacGregor radiates quiet strength as the disillusioned wife, Lady Chiltern. Every line by antagonist Mrs. Cheveley (Anastasia Velikoraodnaya) gleams with spiteful mischief. Veteran director Ramin Gray has embraced his actors' international backgrounds, and accents run riot. Ingénue Mabel (Philippine Velge) is now exuberantly French, while her brother Lord Chiltern (German Segal) is not. Does it matter? Not at all. It's refreshing and it's fun.
Most controversial for Wilde enthusiasts, perhaps, is the choice to have the quintessentially English Lord Goring (Michael Tcherepashenets) spoken in a southern drawl, cowboy hat to boot. Lines that are usually rapid-fire quips are now delivered in a slow American deadpan. Goring slouches in his chair, any remnants of emotion hidden behind dark glasses, and observes the chaos around him. As a result he is set apart—the outsider reluctant to fully join his society's mores. It's a bold choice. It could be terrible. But it works.
In fact, the majority of bold choices this play makes work. The issue is that it takes an hour to get to most of them.
Creatives
Directed by Ramin Gray
Cast
Lord Goring: Michael Tcherepashenets
Lord Chiltern: German Segal
Lady Chiltern: Lizzie MacGregor
Mabel Chiltern: Philippine Velge
Laura Cheveley: Anastasia Velikorodnaya
Lord Caversham: John Rice
Lady Markby: Jane Hamlet
