Blithe Spirit

Noel Coward’s eternally popular play needs no introduction and has been a hit with audiences since its premier performance in 1941. The comically supernatural goings-on hide some deeper and more interesting themes and as with much of his work, Coward’s cynical take on relationships and commitment lies at the kernel of the play. Waspish novelist Charles Condomine gets more than he bargained for when Madame Arcarti accidentally summons up his late wife Elvira and having descended from the astral plane, she seems in no hurry to return from whence she came. The cheeky spirit’s mischievous plans go awry, leading to more mirth and merriment along the way and Cowards witty script makes much of the nature of relationships and buried deep at the heart of the play, the ideals of a jolly bachelor existence emerge only to be thwarted in their turn  too. 

Once again, the Arts Club’s magical way with scenery was in evidence straight away with a lovingly crafted set which set just the right tone immediately. The beautifully put together and well dressed Condomine sitting room drew the audience into the heart of the narrative and was a wonderful achievement. Another all round winner from the ‘Usual Suspects’! The Arts Club’s intimate setting also worked in the production’s favour, pitching us into the middle of the domestic setting and making us feel very much a part of the action.

Charlotte McConnell triumphed once again in the small - but supernaturally vital - role of Edith the maid with yet another quietly comical creation. Charlotte is a performer one never tires of seeing on stage and she always brings a wicked sparkle to any production. Ruth Condomine was played by Anne Baron who was a (very!) last minute replacement for the indisposed Lisa-marie Hunt (one hopes she didn’t didn’t meet a fate as tragic as either Mrs Condomine...) It’s never easy to step in at the eleventh hour - script in hand - to bring a character to life but Anne pulled it off effortlessly: many congratulations. Doctor and Mrs Bradman made a lovely pair in the hands of Tony Lewis and Alison Bell, every inch the sophisticated, sceptical upper middle class couple. Tony and Alison added an extra layer of polish to characters who are often overlooked or pushed aside in considerations of this particular play, never overplaying their characterisations or taking the focus away from the main thrust of the narrative.

Richard Hubbard was a solid and likeable Charles, something which I think is important to consider given the misogynistic streak which runs through the character. Played without a decent amount of likeable charm, Charles Condomine can be a selfish and uncaring character: Richard got it just right and was engaging Company all evening as a result. Although she isn’t the central figure in the play, Madam Arcarti has become something of a legendary role in the theatre - perhaps due to the glorious Margaret Rutherford’s interpretation in the 1945 film version - and it was lovely to see the character brought to life in a fresh way by Sarah Nolan. She succesfully created the brisk scattiness needed for the role without compromising Madam Arcarti’s total belief in her particular brand of mumbo jumbo very well indeed: if we get the impression that Madam Arcarti doesn’t believe wholeheartedly in her spiritual prowess, the audience is unlikely to be drawn in to the narrative either and here, Sarah did a fine job. 

It’s the darkly comic mischief wrought by the unwanted return of the late Mrs Condomine which is the driving force of the play and here, the production scored with the presence of Jacqueline Green as Elvira. Calculating, selfish and downright naughty, Elvira was in fine form in this production and Jacqueline was every inch the mischief making imp! Her ghostly makeup was very well realised and the costume matched it perfectly: in fact, costumes across the board were of an excellent standard, particularly Ruth’s series of outfits which provided both an accurate period flavour and a nice splash of colour in contrast to Elvira’s ghostly garb. 

Taken at face value, the play can be seen as a knockabout bit of nonsense, all ectoplasm, table rapping and comical spooks but of course, lying beneath this thin veneer is a deeper exploration of the perils of being ‘tied down’, in Charles’ case not only in this world but with spectral chains from beyond the grave: given Richard’s take on the character, this was very well done indeed. There were, it’s true, a few outbreaks of the unfortunate ‘Northerers trying to sound posh’ tendency (it’s overdoing the ‘-ing’ at the end of words as does it tha knows) but it never seriously undermined the flow of the dialogue or the overall feel of the piece. One or two scene changes threatened almost to become dangerously close to being too lengthy but again, never quite got there and we could at least enjoy some period music while things were rearranged. It’s quite a lengthy play - and takes a bit to get into its stride - but this production managed to bounce along fairly merrily and Jean Leigh is to be congratulated for not allowing her cast to fall down in awe of the dialogue and treat every pronouncement as if it was a sparkling epigram worthy of its own round of applause. This added a homely touch of reality to the piece which worked in its favour. 

As always, the commitment to quality drama from the Arts Club was as strong as ever and I would urge everyone who hasn’t yet sampled Gibraltar Street’s culture factory to pop along sharpish. You really don’t know what you’re missing. My thanks to everyone at the Arts Club for a wonderful evening, a lovely production and the legendary hospitality always afforded to me on every visit and I look forward to ‘The Boadicea of Britannia Street’ in May.

 

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