An Ideal Husband

In his four-act play An Ideal Husband Oscar Wilde explores the concepts of public and private honor while revolving around political corruption and blackmail. It was first presented in 1895 and lasted for 124 performances at the Haymarket Theatre in London. It has seen numerous theatrical revivals and film radio and television adaptations. Oscar Wilde started writing An Ideal Husband for the actor-manager John Hare in June 1893 as his second drawing room play A Woman of No Importance was enjoying popularity at the Haymarket Theatre. He finished the plays first act while residing in a home he had rented in Goring-on-Thames and he gave the plays main character that name. He wrote the final three acts between September 1893 and January 1894. Hare rejected the play because he thought the final act was inadequate. Wilde then offered the piece to Lewis Waller who was going to temporarily take over management of the Haymarket Theater while Herbert Beerbohm Tree was away in America. Waller accepted. The play which was touted as A new and original play of modern life began rehearsing in December 1894 and premiered on January 3 1895.