Lady Windermere’s Fan – Oscar Wilde
Like several of Oscar Wilde’s plays, Lady Windermere’s Fan is fun to read, easy to keep up with and very relatable, despite the fact that the plot revolves around an aristocrat: wife and mother, Lady Windermere.
On the night of her birthday ball, Lady Windermere has overwhelming suspicions that her husband is having an affair with Mrs Erlynne. After she confronts him, he denies it and invites Mrs Erlynne to the ball despite his wife’s objections.
When Lady Windermere decides to leave her husband for Lord Darlington, Mrs Erlynne goes after her to try and persuade her to return to Lord Windermere. The audience then discovers who Mrs Erlynne really is (no spoilers!), all gets resolved and peace is restored.
A highly recommended and lighthearted play that will keep you interested and laughing. As most of Oscar Wilde’s plays, it has satirical undercurrents and wit that we can all relate to and understand.
Themes:
Family
Motherhood
Morality
Keeping up appearances
Favourite quote from the play:
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” – Lord Darlington
About the author:
Born in 1854 in Dublin, Ireland, Oscar Wilde was an author, poet and playwright who is best known for his famous play, The Importance of Being Ernest and his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. By the early 1980s, Wilde was one of London’s most popular playwrights, after attending colleges in Dublin and Oxford. Wilde died in 1900, aged 46 in Paris, France. His work continues to be studied, performed and appreciated around the world.
Where to buy:
Foyles
Waterstones
WH Smith
Wordery
LittleWordNerd rating: 4 / 5
