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Overview

Synopsis

At a distinguished dinner party in Grosvenor Square, London, we meet Sir Robert Chiltern, a wealthy member of the House of Commons; his wife, Lady Chiltern; his sister, Mabel Chiltern; and Sir Robert’s charming bachelor friend, Lord Arthur Goring. Suddenly, an unexpected -- and unwelcome -- guest arrives. Mrs. Cheveley is an old enemy of Lady Chiltern’s from their school days, Lord Goring’s ex-fiancee, and is on a mission to blackmail Sir Robert into supporting a fraudulent scheme to build a canal in Argentina. When she threatens to tell his beloved Lady Chiltern-- and the world-- that Sir Robert’s money came from an illegal stock secret, Sir Robert feels he has no choice but to give in to her demands When Sir Robert changes his stance on the canal, Lady Chiltern questions his decision, urging him to stay true to his morals. As Sir Robert flips back and forth between following his heart and protecting his reputation, Lady Cheveley tries to win back the affection of her ex-fiancee, Lord Goring. Deceit and lies weave themselves throughout as Wilde pulls the curtain on the hypocrisy of moralistic Victorian society. With wit and gaiety, Wilde paints a scathing critique of gossips, income gaps, sexist attitudes, and the perils of protecting one’s morals.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
4
First Produced
1895
Genres
Drama, Comedy
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
late 19th century, london
Cast Size
large
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen Characters, Large Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Lady Gertrude Chiltern

Lead

Female

Spoken

Mrs. Cheveley

Lead

Female

Spoken

Sir Robert Chiltern

Lead

Male

Spoken

Lord Goring

Lead

Male

Spoken

Mabel Chiltern

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Lord Caversham

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Lady Markby

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Vicomte de Nanjac

Featured

Male

Spoken

Phipps

Featured

Male

Spoken

Lady Basildon

Featured

Female

Spoken

Mrs. Marchmont

Featured

Female

Spoken

Mr. Montford

Featured

Male

Spoken

Mason

Featured

Male

Spoken

James

Featured

Male

Spoken

Harold

Featured

Male

Spoken

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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