BLITHE SPIRIT | BLACKPOOL GRAND
★★★★
“All ‘jolly hockey sticks’ and ‘what ho!’ Susan Wooldridge’s Madame Arcati is a delight…”
First staged in 1941, Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit is many things, a comedy of manners, a satirical swipe at the well to do of the Twenties and Thirties, a ghost story, and an uproarious farce. Witty, clever and arguably ahead of its time it’s easily Coward’s most popular work, and that is down to the casting of one particular character, the eccentric medium at the heart of the piece, Madame Arcati.
It’s a hard role to cast, Margaret Rutherford set the bar high in the 1945 film version and set the bar very high indeed for those to follow. In Susan Wooldridge, Blackpool Grand with co-producers Wiltshire Creative have found the perfect lynchpin around which to build their wonderfully crafted, hilarious and enchanting production of Coward’s spookiest play.
When novelist Charles Condomine and his wife Ruth decide to invite local medium Madame Arcati to dinner followed by a seance as research for his new book, things take an unexpected turn when they inadvertently conjure up the ghost of Charles’ first wife Elvira, which sees Charles the centre of an unlikely love triangle in which life and the afterlife collide… as the battling wives vie for his affection a battle of wits ensues, along with much mischief, mayhem and laughs as the spectral Elvira attempts to sabotage Charles’ new marriage.
Played out on Terry Parsons’ gorgeous, technically genius period set, the seven-strong cast are a dream. As the ‘happily’ married Condomines, Adam Jackson-Smith and Jenny Rainsford excel. Their delivery of Coward’s crisp script is quite scintillating, while the arrival of Bridgette Amofah as Elvira, Charles’ deceased first wife, ramps up the bickering and the hilarity.
Pompously supercilious, Jackson-Smith’s Fawlty-esque Charles is a masterclass in physical comedy, while his comic timing is second to none. Rainsford too is instinctively funny, with a spirited, twinkling energy, while Amofah brings petulant mischievousness to Elvira, ramping up the frenzy.
Good support for the principals comes from Michael Cusick, a youthful Dr Bradman, and Fiona Tong, who brings some lovely comic touches to the role of Violet, his older, short-sighted wife – all Coward’s couples are fascinating studies of people with an unspoken story.
Leading the company as Madame Arcati, Susan Wooldridge is captivating, playing the truth of her character and bringing a nice touch of whimsy to the role. Whether dancing or skipping around the room, she is eccentric but never overplayed. It’s a gentle, wholly believable turn and her childlike wonder as she finds herself in the presence of Elvira is priceless.
Anthony Banks’ direction ensures that the action glides along at pace without sacrificing the more subtle moments and Emma Chapman’s lighting design creates supernatural moments that are atmospheric enough to send a little shiver down the spine, making this Blithe Spirit a magical evening and perfect Hallowe’en fayre.
Until Saturday, tickets here.
