Review of ‘An Ideal Husband’ (2026, Lyric Hammersmith): “Company’s better half shines despite others’ ungroomed acting”

You can’t go wrong with Oscar Wilde. Unless, of course, the National Theatre gets involved — their latest, irritatingly fatuous production of Earnest speaks for itself. Fortunately, this isn’t another attempt to dumb down the sharpness and sass pouring through the pen of one of the most celebrated playwrights in the English language. And although far from flawless, this all-black version of Wilde’s comedy of manners has resulted in a good marriage between low and high-brow entertainment.

The narrative has been left intact for the most part. Despite some cultural anachronisms, it still takes place in 19th-century West London; its blackmail plot still concerns the construction of the Suez Canal; and as we would expect, most of the characters speak with such refined pronunciation it would make Nigella Lawson sound like an East Ender.

There are no significant differences apart from a few Afro-Caribbean accents and the blending of traditional Western and African cultures. As for the rest, it’s exactly the same. And it’s pulled off quite decently. Overall, the production demonstrates competence through an adequately handled text and a resourceful, beautifully implemented staging.

Rajha Shakiry’s scenery brims with vibrancy and dynamism. A diaphanous room comprising a marble staircase and a checkerboard floor misleads into the apparent simplicity of the design. It doesn’t take long for its intricacy to unfold. A couple of descending walls and a revolving set seamlessly assemble to build the remaining scenes. It’s not a matter of complexity but efficiency. That’s precisely where Shakiry excels. Creating so much with so very little. And still conveying a sense of grandeur and opulence.

Although the company delivers an amusing performance that teems with rapport, separations should be made regarding the quality of their acting. While some play the parts with utmost dexterity and effortlessness, other portrayals come off exceedingly flat and one-dimensional, forgetting that a droll facade is of no use when there’s nothing else beneath.

Jeff Alexander’s Earl of Caversham is probably the weakest asset to the cast. Although endearing, his rendition is overly focused on the character’s foreign traits, to the point that the nuance is completely neglected — and so is his credibility. Both Aurora Perrineau and Tiwa Lade’s interpretation as Mrs Cheveley and Mabel Chiltern are capable and somewhat satisfactory, but their emotional range is limited, often lacking buildup and layering.

On the contrary, Chiké Okonkwo occasionally shines as Lord Chiltern, especially when he is accompanied by Jamael Westman, whose magnificent execution of Lord Goring, swarming with organic flamboyance and comicality, captures Wilde’s essence with absolute prowess. An additional mention goes to Emmanuel Akwafo as the two butlers, Mason and Phipps, who doesn’t need more than passive-aggressive backchanneling and a cheeky walk to steal every segment he is in.

Classics are meant to be preserved. But they are also meant to be reinvented. On the whole, the experiment seems to have succeeded in this lively remake of An Ideal Husband. Rather than splitting audiences apart, this one is likely to bring unison. Perhaps not through holy matrimony- it’s Wilde, after all -but through its quick wit and, above all, cheerfulness. That’s something we could all use at the moment. In particular, the woman sitting a few seats from me.

All pictures credit to Helen Murray.

An Ideal Husband plays at London’s Lyric Hammersmith until 6 June. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara