Blithe Spirit

Blithe Spirit is a comic play by Noel Coward, described by the author as "an
improbable farce in three acts". The play was first seen in the West End in 1941 and
ran for 1,997 performances, a new record for a non-musical play in London.

The set was well arranged with the all important table and chairs centre stage and a
good assortment of furniture and props to suggest the Condomine’s home. Scene
changes were handled efficiently and sound and stage effects well managed by the
technical team. Costumes were, on the whole, very accurate for the period, with
Elvira in white to give her the required ghostly appearance.

Richard, as Mr. Charles Condomine, captured this character very well with clear
diction and accurate dialogue; not easy in such a demanding role with a huge
amount of script to sustain. He had an easy manner and held the stage with real
presence particularly in his scenes with Ruth and Elvira.

Mrs Ruth Condomine, played by Steph, struggled slightly with her dialogue on the
night we watched but had a good 1940’s accent, excellent diction and portrayed the
slightly overbearing wife perfectly.

Annabel’s Elvira Condomine was also very strong. The petulant first wife was
beautifully played, with just the right ethereal quality to suit the deceased Mrs
Condomine.

Sophie as Edith contributed much to the comedy as the clumsy maid dashing around
and being gently calmed down by Ruth. Great characterisation with more than a hint
of Victoria Wood’s Mrs Overall and excellent comic timing. Well done.

Doctor and Mrs. Bradman gave engaging performances as the Condomine’s dinner
guests, invited for the seance. Mrs Bradman, played by Laura, had great facial
expressions as this enthusiastic guest and Paul, as Doctor Bradman, countered this
with a confident and calming way.

Last, but certainly not least, was the flamboyant and eccentric Madame Arcati. Anna-
Marie’s characterisation was fabulous. She threw herself into the role with hilarious
results and well and truly stole the show with her witty one liners and energetic
physicality. A memorable and very accomplished performance that quite rightly
delighted the audience. Very well done.

This is quite a lengthy play but was superbly directed to bring out every bit of
comedy. There was good attention to detail to keep it in period and an excellent
understanding of the text. All in all, this was a hugely enjoyable production.
Congratulations to all involved.

Delia Lee

The comments above are solely the view of the representative attending and only
reflects the performance seen.
 

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