No longer booking
  • Venue Lyric Hammersmith, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 6 June 2026
  • Running time 2 hours 45 minutes (including interval)
  • Age guidelines 12+

Book tickets now for Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband at the Lyric Hammersmith until 6 June 2026.

Oscar Wilde’s sharp-witted comedy An Ideal Husband returns to the Lyric Hammersmith in a bold new production directed by Associate Director Nicholai La Barrie (God of Carnage, Aladdin).

The cast includes Emmanuel Akwafo (For Black Boys Who…) who returns to the Lyric as Mason/Phipps, with Chiké Okonkwo (New Tricks) as Lord Chiltern, and Jamael Westman (Hamilton) as Lord Goring.

Set in the world of power, politics, and scandal, the play follows Sir Robert Chiltern, a seemingly perfect gentleman whose world begins to unravel when Mrs Cheveley arrives with secrets that could destroy his reputation. Love, betrayal, and deception collide in one of Wilde’s most enduring plays, filled with biting wit and brilliant social satire.

This 2026 revival marks 100 years since the play last appeared at the Lyric, reimagined for a contemporary London setting.

What is An Ideal Husband about?

‘I love London Society! It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics.’

Sir Robert Chiltern is riding high on all the very best that modern life has to offer a man of his impeccable taste and immaculate reputation. The house, the clothes, the wife.

All seems well until the arrival of the devious Mrs Cheveley, who has a taste for drama and secrets to spill. Her revelations threaten scandal, betrayal, public disgrace: so how far will this perfect gentleman go to protect his good name?

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★★★★
“La Barrie has absolute control over the material. Provocatively entertaining”
The Stage
★★★★
“Sharply funny and bitingly relevant. The camp glow-up Wilde deserves.”
The Guardian

Photos

Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of An Ideal Husband?

  • Mason/Phipps: Emmanuel Akwafo
  • Earl Of Caversham: Jeff Alexander
  • Lady Basildon: Nimmy March
  • Lady Markby: Suzette Llewellyn
  • Lady Chiltern: Tamara Lawrance
  • Mabel Chiltern: Tiwa Lade
  • Lord Chiltern: Chiké Okonkwo
  • Mrs Cheveley: Aurora Perrineau
  • Vicomte De Nanjac: Sule Thelwell
  • Lord Goring: Jamael Westman
  • Voice (unspecified role): Trevor Nelson MBE

Who are the creative team of An Ideal Husband?

  • Written by Oscar Wilde
  • Directed by Nicholai La Barrie
  • Associate Director Gráinne Flynn
  • Set & Costume Designer Rajha Shakiry
  • Lighting Designer Zeynep Kepekli
  • Sound Designer Holly Khan
  • Movement Director Alexzandra Sarmiento
  • Casting Director Heather Basten CDG
  • Intimacy Director Bethan Clark
  • Associate Sound Designer Vanessa Garber
  • Associate Costume Designer Mariama Bojang
  • Design Associate Yimei Zhao
  • Associate Lighting Designer Rick Mountjoy
  • Associate Movement Director Tinovimbanashe Sibanda
  • Company Stage Manager Claire Bryan
  • Deputy Stage Manager Jade Hunter
  • Assistant Stage Manager Jack Bond 

Important Notes

Access Performances:

  • Audio Described Performance: 4 June 2026 at 7.30pm (Touch Tour 6pm)
  • BSL Performance: 26 May 2026 at 7.30pm
  • Chilled Performance: 27 May 2026 at 2.30pm
  • Open Captioned Performance: 2 June 2026 at 7.30pm

Venue Information

Lyric Hammersmith , King Street, London, W6 0QL

Nearest Tube or Train: Hammersmith (District, Piccadilly, Circle, Hammersmith & City)

Nearest Buses: 27, 110, 190, 218, 267, 306, H91, N9, N11, N266

Directions

Google Apple

Critics' reviews of An Ideal Husband

Nicholai La Barrie's contemporary, all-Black production of Oscar Wilde's political comedy wins praise for its energy, style and an outstanding central ensemble.

★★★★ “La Barrie has absolute control over the material. Provocatively entertaining” The Stage

★★★★ “Sharply funny and bitingly relevant. The camp glow-up Wilde deserves.” The Guardian

● "Lyric Hammersmith associate director Nicholai La Barrie’s revival of Oscar Wilde’s 1895 mirth-y morality play has flair to spare" - TimeOut

● "Nineties garage music and nods to Beyoncé put new flesh on the old bones of An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde’s 1895 political comedy" - The Financial Times

Also see: An Ideal Husband Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

An Ideal Husband is playing at the Lyric Hammersmith in London
The running time of An Ideal Husband is 2 hours 45 minutes (including interval)
The age recommendations for An Ideal Husband are: 12+
Yes, An Ideal Husband has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday
No, sorry, An Ideal Husband has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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