AN IDEAL HUSBAND

BY OSCARE WILDE

2024

SYNOPSIS

In Oscar Wilde's compelling narrative, Lady Gertrude Chiltern finds herself married to what she perceives as the perfect husband, Sir Robert Chiltern. However, their blissful facade is shattered when Sir Robert's hidden past is unearthed, and he is faced with dilemma: should he preserve his esteemed public reputation and career and risk losing the love and admiration of his devoted wife?

Turning to his closest confidant, Lord Goring, Sir Robert seeks counsel, despite Goring's own enigmatic history. Goring grapples with balancing his own personal fulfillment against self-sacrifice—Goring contends with constant nagging from his disgruntled father, playful flirtations with Miss Mabel, and the seductive clutches of Mrs. Cheveley.

Woven with drama, intrigue, suspense, and Wilde's signature wit, this tale explores themes of human frailty, redemption, and the enduring complexities of love and hate. Ultimately, Wilde poses a poignant question: should anyone be entirely judged for their past?

COMPANY LIST

When approaching a text such as An Ideal Husband, one has to discard all previously formed opinions of the play and let the text and actors' interpretation speak life and meaning into the story. Certainly, the title is intriguing and perhaps a hard pill to swallow for some, the play unravels as a difficult narrative of expectations, discovery, and reassement.
Developing the relationships of the leading characters was a complex process, constantly trying to decide what tone best communicated their flawed broken humanity, while still maintaining their core strengths.
We wanted to develop a picture of the dance that still happens in modern relationships of expectations, flaws, fear, rejection, and forgiveness. We can have such violent and passionate reactions to betrayal and the peeling back of facades that we all have, and yet we often do not have such emotional responses to loyalty and forgiveness. Should someone be judged by their past? Do we idolise people and put them on pedestals and then find ourselves reveling in their downfall?
Oscar Wilde skillfully paints a portrait of the fickleness of human nature, navigating between the lofty words we use and the destructive things we do. The cast wholeheartedly delved into the inner workings of their characters and have uncovered a rich array of human interactions that one may not feel is too far removed from their own experience.
It is my hope, along with the Assistant Director, Ben Rebbechi, that you will not only be entertained by this production but go away with a reassessment of the idols in your life and possibly invite forgiveness to come once again through the open door.
Mrs Marchmont
Francesca Emery
Lady Basildon
Kristin Placko
Mason
David Kennaugh
Jane
Elizabeth Nunes
Lord Caversham
Timothy Smith
Lady Gertrude Chiltern
Olivia Ryan
Miss Mabel Chiltern
Bernadette Hunter
Lady Markby
Cecilia Streckfuss
Mrs Cheveley
Elizabeth Rebbechi
Vicomte De Nanjac
Patrick Brandt
Sir Robert Chiltern
James Driessen
Lord Goring
Timothy Winkels
Mr Montford
Pearce Lyall
Phipps
Joseph Nunes
Harriet
Eliza Tome
Understudies
Mrs Cheveley
Rachael Johnson
Miss Mabel Chiltern
Eliza Tome
Lord Caversham
Benjamin Rebbechi
Lady Markby
Magdalena Fernandez
Harriet
Sophie Ryan
Director
Paul Murphy
Assistant Director
Benjamin Rebbechi
Production Manager
Tom Galouzis
Scenic Design
Joseph Elzerman
Prop Manager
Magdalena Fernandez
Prop Design
Thomas Power
Costume Design
Madeleine McLachlan
Costume Coordination
Mary English
Wardrobe Supervisor
Fleur Mulcahy
Sound & Lighting Technician
Seth Elzerman
Lighting Operator
John Griffin
Carpenter
Jim Fanning
Hair & Makeup
Clare Murphy
Event Manager
Cecilia Streckfuss
Marketing
Sophie Ryan
Graphic Design
Paul Murphy
Photography
Giovanni Portelli