Writer: Oscar Wilde
Director: Colette Dockery
Oscar Wilde’s social comedy about Victorian double standards is a favourite of London’s theatres. Written in 1893, this four-act satire helped establish him as one of the household names of the West End. Staying true to the original, Colette Dockery’s production, with grounded performances and a clever set, keeps the charm flowing as well as the subtle social challenges which Wilde had originally intended in his play.
While a mother has managed to hide the darkest secret of her life from her son, a trip they take to a house party at an extravagant country house threatens to expose all. Alison Linley as Lady Jane Hunstanton is the standout performance here, and like an orchestra conductor, she manages the pacing of the dialogue and the witty cracks of Wilde’s text to great effect. Dixi Taylor’s Rachel Arbuthnot plays the Victorian trope of the fallen woman admirably, and in moments where the plot threatens to unravel her secret, Taylor uses clever tricks of body language to display her distress.
The set is a marvel. A spinning block makes light of Wilde’s scene changes and heavy setting, which is a major difficulty when it comes to staging this play. Approaching the break, the work begins to drag towards its closing, with scenes feeling occasionally stilted, but after the interval, with new spirit, the text blossoms with energy and quick, sharp interactions between actors. For this is when the play is at its best, when the stage is busy with life and small, fine details of characterisation can be found even in the most unlikely places. A special mention must go to Vyvian Shaw and Bob Bradick as the Pontefract couple who play the charming foibles of elderly love with great comedy.
Yet, there is little exploration of how to take the text forward or an attempt to entertain with the lighting desk. In such a large and impressive theatre, producing such a well-known text — to an audience that dotes on every line — it would have been nice to truly play with the work. A lighting change within a scene or unexpected sound effect would not go amiss.
Runs until 12 September 2026
