J. M. Barrie's fantasy drama Dear Brutus from 1917 depicts the
characters' transition through alternate universes and eventual return
to the real world. The phrase "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our
stars but in ourselves" is taken from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and is
referenced in the title. Between 17 October 1917 and 24 August 1918, the
drama was presented at Wyndham's Theatre in the West End for 363
performances. The play's central question is whether people might
benefit from living their lives over again and making new decisions. The
characters are unhappy spouses who all believe their lives have gone in
the wrong direction. The group is escorted to the residence of an
elderly man with the Shakespearean name Lob, who is referred to as "all
that is left of Merry England." The philanderer is found trying a new
conquest, much to the amusement of his wife and his mistress; an elderly
man who had yearned for a second youth proposes again to his faithful
spouse; the artist and his wife are reconciled; and the dream child of
Act 2 has almost become real to both of them and lives on in their
hearts.