An Ideal Husband
15 May 2026
Lyric Hammersmith
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
An Ideal Husband, currently running at the Lyric Hammersmith until 6 June, is a brilliantly modern reimagining of Wilde’s study of London society. The brightly camp, all-Black cast production is incredibly entertaining, hurling the moral tale of status, honour, love and power into 2026 with ease without amending the script too much.
Sir Robert Chiltern is living the perfect life, a lavish home, a beautiful and loving wife, a career of power and influence in politics. But when scheming Mrs Cheveley uses secrets from his past to blackmail him, his entire world spirals out of control. What follows is a dance of manipulation and desperation as Robert is forced to decide between his reputation and his morals.
The stage is lavishly decked out, alluding to a grand mansion as the backdrop of story. Set pieces for various locations are gorgeously designed, held in shades of green and gold, the perfect scenery for a tale of power, privilege, and understated luxury. The over the top costumes bring a tone of whimsy and high fashion to the mix, with bright colours and clean lines, a feast for the eyes.
While modern music and references are inserted to spice up the show, the text is very close to the original, only altered here and there to modernise the script. This works incredibly well, highlighting the dichotomy between the pompous language and the trivial content of the majority of the conversations between the fancy folk at the heart of this tale. The all-Black cast adds an extra layer of depth to the game of power and influence being played on stage.
The cast is incredibly well chosen, strong talent who ham up the camp effortlessly, bringing a tremendous amount of humour to the stage. The absolute stand-out performance of the night comes from Emmanuel Akwafo, who manages to turn a peripheral role into an absolute scene-stealer of a highlight. Playing both Mason and Phibbs, butlers to Sir Robert Chiltern, and Lord Goring respectively, he effortlessly uses smallest gestures and sassy tone to greatest effect, definitive peak acting at its best.
This production of An Ideal Husband is a glorious gem that demands to be seen!
