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POLITICIANS’ corrupt pasts coming back to haunt them. Blackmailing secrets among the rich and elite of London’s high society.
Societal demand for public perfection at all costs.
No, this isn’t the latest scandal from Downing Street.
It is the plot of Oscar Wilde’s razor sharp satire, An Ideal Husband, which opens to a sold out audience at Wokingham Theatre this week.
“What a wonderfully complex play An Ideal Husband is,” says the play’s director, Emma Merchant. “I don’t think I had realised what a huge production this would be when I took on the project.
“At first sight it’s a cracking good story about a man facing up to his past, who is about to lose everything.
“It is that, of course, but it’s so much more.”
While one of Wilde’s lesser-known works compared to his other comedies, this has all the signature characteristics we know and love from his writing.
Social commentary, paradoxical one-liners, stock characters, appearance-obsessed protagonists and – as always – wit in abundance. All of which satirises the hypocrisies of Victorian morality.
“It’s romantic, it’s charming, it’s tense, it’s farcical, it’s passionate, and it’s written from the heart,” says Emma. “Oscar Wilde explores so many different themes: politics, blackmail, compassion, consequences, unrealistic expectations, high society, societal rules, romance, jeopardy – you name it, it’s in this play somewhere.
“I’ve loved unpacking it all with this company.”
The production is the final in Wokingham Theatre’s current season, which will take a much-needed pause before kicking things off again in September with Simon Woods’ Hansard. But before the Summer holidays can kick in, this company has the small task of a two-week run to a sold-out audience to deliver – something Emma is confident they will seize with aplomb.
“Because it’s such a big production, it really has needed every single member of the team to step up,” she says.
“And in every possible way, they have.
“It has been a great pleasure to be able to welcome a number of new faces to the production, onstage and behind the scenes, to join seasoned Wokingham Theatre members.
“Together, we’ve pored over the script to bring characters to life, we’ve battled with Oscar’s scenic demands (why is it that Victorian plays always seem to require at least three different and complex locations?) and we’ve kept going through three heatwaves!”
So does Emma think the play retains its relevance for theatre audiences in 2026 as much as it did 130 years ago?
“An Ideal Husband may have been written in 1895, but it certainly isn’t a museum piece,” she insists.
“It’s filled with wit, intelligence and warmth, and it still has plenty to say to us today.
“I hope audiences will enjoy the colour, sparkle, and life that it brings to the final production of this year’s Wokingham Theatre season.
“Finally, a big thank you to everyone involved in An Ideal Husband, without whose continued warmth, dedication, and sheer hard work it could not have been brought to the stage.”
An Ideal Husband opens at Wokingham Theatre to a charity preview on Wednesday 15 July, before opening to the general public from Thursday 16 to Saturday 25 July.
While the show is sold out, returns do become available, so keep your eye on WT’s website for returns.
For information, visit: wokinghamtheatre.org.uk
