An Ideal Husband - Live in Cinemas

The third in the series of Oscar Wilde plays beamed live to cinemas, An Ideal Husband is not quite so enjoyable as Lady Windermere's Fan, but it has a much more serious edge. The first half takes a long time to get going, I guess that Wilde is just setting up the plot, but conversations introducing the main characters are mostly pretty boring.

The second of the four acts is more promising as the devious Mrs Cheveley (Frances Barber on top form) sets in motion her wicked plan. After the interval we are treated to some marvellous dialogue. I particularly liked the interplay between the Earl of Caversham (Edward Fox) and his son Lord Goring (Freddie Fox - the real life son of Edward). In fact, Freddie carries the whole play wonderfully in the second half.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find that Sally Bretton (the co-lead from one of our favourite comedy series Not Going Out was perfectly fine as the perfectly pure Lady Chiltern.

Unlike her husband Lord Chiltern whose secret past is about to be exposed. Nathaniel Parker is good in this central role, here with Mrs Cheveley about to drop her bombshell.

Director Jonathon Church has kept the cast up to the required pace, and the costumes are particularly fine. However, some age differences were weird. Mrs Cheveley and Lady Chiltern had apparently been at school together but the actresses are thirty two years apart in age. Who cares!