It is a problem play, offering social commentary to illustrate the idea that the act of prostitution was not caused by moral failure but by economic necessity.

Elements of the play were borrowed from Shaw's 1882 novel Cashel Byron's Profession, about a man who becomes a boxer due to limited employment opportunities.

Vivie Warren, a thoroughly modern young woman, has just graduated from the University of Cambridge with honours in Mathematics (equal Third Wrangler), and is available for suitors.

Her mother, Mrs. Warren (her name changed to hide her identity and give the impression that she is married), arranges for her to meet her friend Mr. Praed, a middle-aged, handsome architect, at the home where Vivie is staying.

"[3] He explained the source of the play in a letter to the Daily Chronicle on 28 April 1898: Miss Janet Achurch [an actress and friend of Shaw’s] mentioned to me a novel by some French writer [Yvette by Guy de Maupassant] as having a dramatisable story in it.

In the following autumn I was the guest of a lady (Beatrice Webb) of very distinguished ability—one whose knowledge of English social types is as remarkable as her command of industrial and political questions.

[4]The play was originally banned by the Lord Chamberlain (Britain's official theatre censor) because of its frank discussion of prostitution, but was finally performed on Sunday, 5 January 1902, at London's New Lyric Club with the distinguished actor-manager Harley Granville-Barker as Frank, Fanny Brough as Mrs. Warren, George Goodhart as Sir George Crofts, Julius Knight as Praed, Madge McIntosh as Vivie and Cosmo Stuart as the Rev.

[5] Members-only clubs had been a device to avoid the eye of authority, but actors often also used the opportunity to invite their fellow-artists to a private showing of a play, usually on Sundays, when theatres were closed to the public.

In December 1918 the play was produced in Perth, Australia by the actor manager Alan Wilkie and featured a friend and protégé of Shaw, Frediswyde Hunter-Watts, as Vivie Warren.

The 1976 Broadway revival featured Ruth Gordon as Kitty, Lynn Redgrave as Vivie, Philip Bosco as Sir George Crofts and Edward Herrmann as Frank Gardner.

The tour visited the playwrights home Shaw's Corner [11] Sir Harry Johnston wrote a sequel, a novel entitled Mrs. Warren's Daughter, circa 1920.

[13] Produced by Cedric Messina and directed by Herbert Wise, it starred Coral Browne in the title role, with Penelope Wilton as Vivie.

Mrs. Warren grows rich from her online porn and dating sites while her sheltered daughter recoils from the knowledge that her privileged life is based on the exploitation of women.