Blithe Spirit

In the Director’s Note for this production, Kei Bailey mentions his admiration for Noel Coward’s work and the special appeal that this particular play has for him. Drawing on his considerable skill and extensive experience Kei succeeds in drawing out and combining excellent performances from his production team. Written in 1941, the plot of this popular comedy centres on séances conducted by the extrovert, though not necessarily competent medium, Madame Arcati, brilliantly played in this production by Frances Sabey. Other cast members were Danny Chester-Bush (as Charles Condomine), Melissa Marlowe (as Charles’ first wife Elvira), Rachel Pick (as Charles’ second wife Ruth), Matthew Barnes (as Dr Bradman), Rachel Rowett (as Mrs Bradman) and Jo Carling (as the maid Edith) – all of whom are deserving of praise for their superb performances. The clarity of speech from the entire cast was most impressive. Paul Gibson’s cleverly designed set made good use of the available stage space and was on full view to the audience as they entered the auditorium. Costumes were most appropriate to the period when people dressed for dinner. Support from the efficient stage crew contributed significantly to maintaining the pace of this production. This was superlative entertainment with much attention to detail; I particularly appreciated the choice of incidental music. Absolutely delightful!

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