Richmond Theatre – until 22 February 2020
Reviewed By Carly Burlinge
4.5****
Blithe Spirit by Noel Cowards and directed by Richard Eyre.
Charles Condomine (Geoffrey Streatfeild) is a chirpy enthusiastic man full of expression, along with his wife Ruth Condomine (Lisa Dillon) a glamorous, well dressed very pleasant woman, but who can become easily frustrated with him at times. The play opens with them in the first scene bickering about their previous marriages.
Charles (Geoffrey Streatfeild) then invites over their local medium both wondering if she will be able to contact anyone that they know and for him to also gather and use any information to help in the writing of his new book. He also invites his neighbours over; the local GP, Dr Bradman (Simon Coates) who play a bold and sceptic character who’s seen it all being a doctor. Along with his wife Mrs Bradman (Lucy Robinson) who plays a very chatty, giggly and over excited character.
Once altogether, the door bells goes. Edith (Rose Wardlaw) a very funny, energetic, over eager and clumsy maid that runs around the house at full speed tripping up over things and almost dropping drinks trays over however, brings great laughter to the audience, welcomes in Madame Arcati (Jennifer Saunders) an amusing, entertaining slightly eccentric medium that waffles on with great expression and detail. She is very clumsy and has some very funny movements and séance dances that had the audience laughing many times throughout the show. She definitely has an oddness to her and finds it easy to laugh at herself. She also starts of the séance which ends up bringing back Charles’s first wife who died at an early age – Elvira (Emma Naomi) who is very flirtatious and playful is very good at playing both Mr and Mrs Condomine against each other and wants nothing more than to get her husband back causing all mayhem within the house.
The set is very detailed, the Condimine’s living room has two levels with a staircase that is used throughout the show with a floor to ceiling bookshelf full of books which happened to have a great affect. There was a piano in the background with a fire place to the right and a writing desk to the left with double doors going out to the garden. As well as an archway leading to a panelled hallway making this a very enjoyable set to watch.
This was an extremely amusing, stylish, playful imaginative show with layers of entertainment, a great watch and well worth seeing.