Blithe Spirit – 5-7 April 2018
Review by John Cummings
With ghosts appearing, séances going wrong, pictures falling inexplicably from walls and doors opening of their own accord audiences were treated to a highly amusing dramatic spectacle in Crieff Drama Group’s recent production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit. There were plenty of laughs and plenty of surprises in this fine production. Blithe Spirit was written over a period of five days during the Second World War. It has continued to entertain theatre goers ever since it was first produced in 1941 and became the longest-running hit of Coward’s illustrious career. In this ‘improbable farce’ the writer Charles Condomine is caught in a tug of war between his second wife, Ruth, and the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, who died seven years previously and is conjured up by the preposterously batty medium Madam Arcati.
It is a challenging play. Not only is it wordy but it is set in a very different and unsettled era and involves self-centred characters behaving in a strange manner. The period itself was captured visually with an excellent set designed by Colin Morrison and an extensive range of period costumes organised by Ann Morrison and Caroline Moore and enhanced by the characters’ make-up by Debbie McMaster. There were a number of highly effective set pieces within the play with the dimly lit séances, in particular, completely captivating or rather entrancing the audience.
Handling a style of language that may appear to us today as stilted is no easy task. Mike Owens succeeded well in giving the demanding role of Charles Condomine an appropriate suavity as well as suggesting his weak-willed vanity. As his waspish second wife, Ruth, Kate Beauchamp gave a very assured performance subtly changing her mood to accommodate her husband’s apparent madness on seeing the ghost of his second wife. She also had one of the best lines in a play full of typical Coward one-liners. In response to her husband’s enquiry, ‘Anything interesting in the Times?’ she replies, ‘Don’t be silly, Charles.’ Ruth was contrasted nicely by Janice Bourelle’s Elvira, who was mischievously vampish as she glided around with feline sensuality in ashen garb and ghostly pallor.
With her outrageous costumes and turbaned or feathered headgear Helen Day was splendid in the role of the loveable gargoyle Madam Arcati capable of conjuring up ghosts but incapable of returning them to where they belong. She burbled necromantic nonsense in the hearty bullying-off manner of a Brown Owl. The constantly bickering Doctor and Mrs Bradman were convincingly played by Alan Blair and Elizabeth Rapczynska. And in her debut role with Crieff Drama Group Mhairi Henley, gave a very accomplished performance as the clumsy maid Edith. Although only intermittently on stage she commanded attention immediately and was, of course, a far more manipulative and culpable maid than we had suspected.
Full marks to Gordon N. Campbell, the Director, for tackling this play. It’s not an easy play but through atmospheric staging, plenty of movement, good pacing and convincing acting he ensured that the audience remained captivated and amused throughout. There were many imaginative touches and some good old theatrical effects especially as the ghosts wreaked havoc at the end. Well done to the back stage crew. All in all a most entertaining and memorable production.
It is a challenging play. Not only is it wordy but it is set in a very different and unsettled era and involves self-centred characters behaving in a strange manner. The period itself was captured visually with an excellent set designed by Colin Morrison and an extensive range of period costumes organised by Ann Morrison and Caroline Moore and enhanced by the characters’ make-up by Debbie McMaster. There were a number of highly effective set pieces within the play with the dimly lit séances, in particular, completely captivating or rather entrancing the audience.
Handling a style of language that may appear to us today as stilted is no easy task. Mike Owens succeeded well in giving the demanding role of Charles Condomine an appropriate suavity as well as suggesting his weak-willed vanity. As his waspish second wife, Ruth, Kate Beauchamp gave a very assured performance subtly changing her mood to accommodate her husband’s apparent madness on seeing the ghost of his second wife. She also had one of the best lines in a play full of typical Coward one-liners. In response to her husband’s enquiry, ‘Anything interesting in the Times?’ she replies, ‘Don’t be silly, Charles.’ Ruth was contrasted nicely by Janice Bourelle’s Elvira, who was mischievously vampish as she glided around with feline sensuality in ashen garb and ghostly pallor.
With her outrageous costumes and turbaned or feathered headgear Helen Day was splendid in the role of the loveable gargoyle Madam Arcati capable of conjuring up ghosts but incapable of returning them to where they belong. She burbled necromantic nonsense in the hearty bullying-off manner of a Brown Owl. The constantly bickering Doctor and Mrs Bradman were convincingly played by Alan Blair and Elizabeth Rapczynska. And in her debut role with Crieff Drama Group Mhairi Henley, gave a very accomplished performance as the clumsy maid Edith. Although only intermittently on stage she commanded attention immediately and was, of course, a far more manipulative and culpable maid than we had suspected.
Full marks to Gordon N. Campbell, the Director, for tackling this play. It’s not an easy play but through atmospheric staging, plenty of movement, good pacing and convincing acting he ensured that the audience remained captivated and amused throughout. There were many imaginative touches and some good old theatrical effects especially as the ghosts wreaked havoc at the end. Well done to the back stage crew. All in all a most entertaining and memorable production.
