He spent the war years entertaining the troops and writing patriotic songs and films, but as the war wound down he finally turned his attention to the movie version of Blithe Spirit. Hollywood was interested in making a film of Blithe Spirit, but Coward had been disappointed that censorship had dimmed the sparkle of the American film adaptations of his plays Private Lives and Design for Living. But Arcati actually manages to summon the spirit of Charles's volatile first wife Elvira, and Elvira refuses to go back where she came from, bringing comic havoc to Charles's staid life with his current wife. For the skeptical Charles, his wife, and another couple, the séance is just entertainment. Charles Condomine is a mystery novelist who invites quirky medium Madame Arcati to conduct a séance at his home as research for a book he's writing. No playwright was better at fast-paced verbal wit than Coward, and Blithe Spirit was just the kind of escapist entertainment that war-weary audiences craved. In July the play opened in London, and by November it was also playing to great success on Broadway. He had taken refuge at a picturesque resort on the Welsh coast, and after a few false starts sat down and wrote the play in a feverish few days.
In began in early May of 1941, when the German Blitzkreig air attack had been hammering England for months, and Coward's London office and flat had been destroyed.
With a distinguished creative team who have won a plethora of awards between them, this is a Blithe Spirt full of sparkling and spirit-lifting hijinks.Written in less than a week during some of the darkest days of World War II, Noel Coward's lighthearted ghost story Blithe Spiritwas a huge success on the London stage, running for nearly two thousand performances, a record-breaking run that it held for three decades. The production is directed by 5-time Olivier Award-winner Sir Richard Eyre, who was the director of the National Theatre for a decade. Geoffrey Streatfield has starred in Spooks, The Thick of It and Traitors as well as the Histories Cycle at the RSC.ĭesigner Anthony Ward’s many productions include Olivier Award-winning Oklahoma! and Tony Award-winning Mary Stuart. Lisa Dillon is best known for playing Mary Smith in BBC 1’s Cranford. Her performance of Madame Acarti has been widely praised since this production opened at Theatre Royal Bath in summer 2019.
Jennifer is much loved as writer and star in Absolutely Fabulous as well as TV sketch show French and Saunders, for which she and Dawn French received a BAFTA fellowship in 2009. Starring the incredible British comedy institution, Jennifer Saunders, this production is sure to split your sides. When novelist Charles Condomine (Goeffrey Streatfeild) is looking for material on his new mystery, he invites eccentric medium Madame Acarti (Jennifer Saunders) to his home to perform for a party of his friends.Īs the room struggle to keep from laughing at the flamboyant and erratic Madame Acarti beginning her seance, Charles begins to hear a voice he can’t help but recognise – his dead first wife. When she appears only to Charles and makes clear her intent to destroy his new marriage to his new wife, Ruth, (Lisa Dillon), Charle’s life becomes understandably complicated.
In a hilarious story of the occult-gone-wrong, Blithe Spirit tells the story of a couple haunted by a previous relationship – literally. The critically acclaimed production of Noël Coward’s iconic comedy Blithe Spirit starring Jennifer Saunders is coming back to the West End at the Harold Pinter Theatre for a limited 8-week run this September. Special offer: Enjoy up to 44% off when booking tickets to see Blithe Spirit up until 4 November (excluding performances on Fridays & Saturdays) Please check with the specific venue for the most up-to-date information. Most venues are asking for proof of your Covid Status (double vaccination, natural immunity and/or negative lateral flow test). It is now mandatory to wear a face covering in most indoor public spaces including theatres unless you are exempt.