One of the nineteenth century's most successful and most frequently
revived plays, An Ideal Husband has divided critics more than any
other of Wilde's plays. Treating political intrigue, financial fraud,
blackmail, scandal and spin, and the role of women in public life, it is
a play which engaged with issues of vital importance to its
late-Victorian audience, which continue to resonate today.
Sos Eltis, a specialist in Victorian drama and its relation to women's
issues, provides a stimulating new perspective on An Ideal Husband,
through an introduction that looks at its relation with contemporary
social purity campaigns, women's rights, and political scandals. The
introduction also gives a substantial performance history, with
particular reference to the play's film versions and the influential
Peter Hall theatre production.