THE LADS’ summer 2010 performance will be Noel Coward’s comedy “Blithe Spirit”.
Blithe Spirit tells the story of Charles Condomine, (Wayne Young) a successful novelist, and his second wife, the domineering Ruth, (Anna Lingard) and how their lives are thrown into chaos after dabbling in the occult. Charles, who is doing research for his new novel invites the eccentric medium Madame Arcati (Debbie Davies) to conduct a séance.
He is convinced that her so called supernatural gifts are nothing more than hocus-pocus, and in fact he hopes this is the case in order to write about a fraudulent medium in his book.
Accompanied by their close friends, the Bradmans (Pam Johnson and Neil Rhodes) Ruth and Charles are amused and astonished by Madame Arcati’s bizarre ramblings, and when the séance starts, they are all enjoying themselves immensely.
However as the séance progresses Charles gets the shock of his life when a blast from the past breezes back into his life with disastrous but hilarious consequences. Charles and Ruth soon discover that dabbling in the occult certainly isn’t something that should be taken lightly, with Charles in particular getting more than he bargained for, although to say anymore would spoil the surprises that this entertaining play holds!
Blithe Spirit was written by Noel Coward during the height of the blitz in 1941, directly after his own London office and apartment were bombed, and it was certainly popular when it opened in the West End later that same year.
It was a classic of it’s era, and the humour and whit of Noel Coward translates through the ages. Blithe Spirit is escapist comedy at its best, and is certainly not one to be missed.
The play set a new long-run record for non-musical British plays of 1,997 performances. It also did well on Broadway, running for 657 performances. Coward adapted the play for film in 1945, starring Rex Harrison, and directed a musical adaptation, High Spirits, on Broadway in 1964.
It was also adapted for television in the 1950s and 1960s and for radio. The play enjoyed several West End and Broadway revivals in the 1970s and 1980s and was revived again in London in 2004. It returned to Broadway in 2009.
Blithe Spirit is directed by Rob Davies, and also stars Liz Evans and Marg Kynaston. It will run from Thursday, July 1, to Saturday, July 3 at Llanymynech Village Hall. A licensed bar is available at the hall.
Tickets cost just £6 (£5 concessions) and are available from Llanymynech Village Hall (01691 839147), the Herbarium, Oswestry & Mile End Tourist Information Centre, Oswestry.