Oscar Wilde: The Complete Works. Knowledge house
hopper
parker, Butler
lady windermere
the duchess of berwick
lady agatha carlisle
lady plymdale
lady stutfield
lady jedburgh
mrs. cowper-cowper
mrs. erlynne
rosalie, Maid
·[ix]· the scenes of the play
Act I: Morning-room in Lord Windermere’s house.
Act II: Drawing-room in Lord Windermere’s house.
Act III: Lord Darlington’s rooms.
Act IV: Same as Act I.
Time The Present.
Place London.
The action of the play takes place within twenty-four hours, beginning on a Tuesday afternoon at five o’clock, and ending the next day at 1.30 p.m.
·[xi]· LONDON: ST. JAMES’S THEATRE
Lessee and Manager: Mr. George Alexander February 22nd, 1892
| Lord Windermere | Mr. George Alexander. |
| Lord Darlington | Mr. Nutcombe Gould. |
| Lord Augustus Lorton | Mr. H. H. Vincent. |
| Mr. Cecil Graham | Mr. Ben Webster. |
| Mr. Dumby | Mr. Vane-Tempest. |
| Mr. Hopper | Mr. Alfred Holles. |
| Parker (Butler) | Mr. V. Sansbury. |
| Lady Windermere | Miss Lily Hanbury. |
| The Duchess of Berwick | Miss Fanny Coleman. |
| Lady Agatha Carlisle | Miss Laura Graves. |
| Lady Plymdale | Miss Granville. |
| Lady Jedburgh | Miss B. Page. |
| Lady Stutfield | Miss Madge Girdlestone. |
| Mrs. Cowper-Cowper | Miss A. De Winton. |
| Mrs. Erlynne | Miss Marion Terry. |
| Rosalie (Maid) | Miss Winifred Dolan. |
·[xv]· First Act.
·1· SCENE—Morning-room of Lord Windermere’s house in Carlton House Terrace. Doors C. and R. Bureau with books and papers R. Sofa with small tea-table L. Window opening on to terrace L. Table R.
[Lady Windermere is at table R., arranging roses in a blue bowl.]
[Enter Parker.
parker
Is your ladyship at home this afternoon?
lady windermere
Yes—who has called?
parker
Lord Darlington, my lady.
lady windermere
[Hesitates for a moment.] Show him up—and I’m at home to any one who calls.
·2· parker
Yes, my lady.
[Exit C.
lady windermere
It’s best for me to see him before to-night. I’m glad he’s come.
[Enter Parker C.
parker
Lord Darlington.
[Enter Lord Darlington C.
[Exit Parker.
lord darlington
How do you do, Lady Windermere?
lady windermere
How do you do, Lord Darlington? No, I can’t shake hands with you. My hands are all wet with these roses. Aren’t they lovely? They came up from Selby this morning.
lord darlington
They are quite perfect. [Sees a fan lying on the table.] And what a wonderful fan! May I look at it?
lady windermere
Do. Pretty, isn’t it! It’s got my name on it, and everything. I have only just seen it myself. ·3· It’s my husband’s birthday present to me. You know to-day is my birthday?
lord darlington
No? Is it really?
lady windermere
Yes, I’m of age to-day. Quite an important day in my life, isn’t it? That is why I am giving this party to-night. Do sit down. [Still arranging flowers.]
lord darlington
[Sitting down.] I wish I had known it was your birthday, Lady Windermere. I would have covered the whole street in front of your house with flowers for you to walk on. They are made for you. [A short pause.]
lady windermere
Lord Darlington, you annoyed me last night at the Foreign Office. I am afraid you are going to annoy me again.
lord darlington
I, Lady Windermere?
[Enter Parker and Footman C., with tray and tea things.
lady windermere
Put it there, Parker. That will do. [Wipes her ·4· hands with her pocket-handkerchief, goes to tea-table L., and sits down.] Won’t you come over, Lord Darlington?
[Exit Parker C.
lord darlington
[Takes chair and goes across L.C.] I am quite miserable, Lady Windermere. You must tell me what I did. [Sits down at table L.]
lady windermere
Well, you kept paying me elaborate compliments the whole evening.
lord darlington
[Smiling.] Ah, now-a-days we are all of us so hard up, that the only pleasant things to pay are compliments. They’re the only things we can pay.
lady