Actors including Tony Britton and Kate O' Mara excelled in Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband

What my wife wanted to see this Oscar Wilde play for I’ll never know. She has An Ideal Husband, surely? That said, the Sir Peter Hall directed production has a stellar cast including Tony Britton, Kate O’Mara, Fenella Fielding and Robert Duncan, what more do you need? I could mention Michael Praed, but he threw a sickie the night we attended The Churchill, Bromley, disappointing a few ladies.

Luckily, Wilde’s writing is bitchy but very funny. The most amusing character was Drop the Dead Donkey’s Robert Duncan as Lord Goring. He reminded me of Boris Johnson and Oscar Wilde himself as he tried to help his dear friend Sir Robert Chiltern (Paul Aves) wriggle out of a tricky blackmail situation involving Lady Chiltern, (the lovely Carol Royle) Mrs Cheveley (O’Mara) and a dubious investment in an Argentinian canal project. Tony Britton played The Earl of Caversham, father of Lord Goring. Convinced his son is a good for nothing layabout, their father and son exchanges early in the second half were a joy and show how accomplished Wilde was with comedy.

He also wrote fervently of marriage, underlining the strength in a good partnership. This is writing from another age, but dealing with issues which are still with us today — dishonest politicians, blackmail and adultery.

A couple of decent songs may have livened things up, but a charming and amusing evening was had by all.