I'm a little ashamed to say that I haven't read any George Bernard Shaw since Mrs. Warren's Profession in my University days, when the earth was a simpler place. Knowing how much I enjoyed it, I knew I was going to enjoy this one too.

There's almost zero action in this play. I say 'almost' because Eugene's hair does get disheveled at one point. It's another one of those lovely 'people standing in a room talking' plays that take up so many spots on my favourite plays list. I think it's because having so little action puts so much more weight and responsibility on the dialogue. And Shaw has always been only second to maybe Wilde when it comes to dry, witty dialogue.

There's something about this style of play that's just so outrageously and shamelessly honest. Is there anything more honest than a woman standing in between her husband and lover and asking both to state their offers? There's something so entertaining about the contrast between the outwardly civilized upper-class acting so animalistic and natural.

Reread 2021: A sassy secretary character is always a win for me. She's definitely one of the stars of this play.