It seems to be the year for Blithe Spirit revivals and the second one I’ve reviewed in the past six weeks.
It’s definitely Noël Coward’s most well known and I for one, hope it heralds a resurgence of some of his more rarely seen works. No one makes dialogue sing to you like the genius that flys from the master’s pen.
The other production was by Malvern young theatre where it was a very physical outing – lots of bouncing on and off sofas and where middle class petulance was swapped for bohemian angst. I enjoyed the approach immensely and importantly, the Cowardism wasn’t lost in the process.
Noting that Colin Judges was directing the Crescent’s production I knew he would take the traditional approach and why not indeed. I am from the school of theatre that the most important person in the rehearsal room is the writer – even if he’s been dead a few hundred years and Judges is always cognisant of that too.
He has also cast it with players of an indeterminable but definitely upper age range.
Nothing wrong with that, works perfectly and all dressed splendidly posh by Pat Brown and Vera Dean.
Set in 1937, the action takes place in the Condomines’ rather splendid house in Kent where author Charles Condomine lives with his second wife Ruth. They have invited a local medium, the eccentric Madame Arcarti to conduct a séance in their home as research for Charles latest novel.
Unfortunately the séance goes wrong and Charles’ first wife Elvira rides the astral plane to come back and cause havoc.
Ruth is played by Zena Forrest and delivers with a perfect not –to-bemessed–with tone to her voice and dished up charm and acid in equally effective dollops.
Paula Snow gives us a delightful blonde spook outing as first wife Elvira, where her floating movement was both relevant and beguiling.
Paul Forrest looked a very dapper Charles and makes much of his journey from horror to enjoyment at the situation he finds himself in.
He has a delightful rich coffee tone to his voice but I did wish he would pick up the pace a little more that was set to him by Ruth.
Susan Resuggan with her blustering bordering on buffoonery takeno-prisoners style makes for a very traditional and effective Arctari and we also get an old style know-my-place maid from Jan Cunningham as Edith.
Robbie Love and Dominika Nala as Doctor and Mrs Bradman get the short straws as characters with little to build on and really put there by Coward to pad out the story.
What little they have, they make the most of -Methinks there’s a ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’ play to be written about ‘George and Violet Bradman’.
The set by Shazia Ali complete with a grand piano is huge and takes up more room than I have ever seen a set take up in the studio, it would certainly have not looked out of place on the main stage.
With all vast expanse why then confine the séance table, the most important scene in the play to as far stage right as it could go?
It made those of us on the opposite auditorium end have to move our necks to nigh ‘Exorcist’ positions to watch?
On the positive when the ghoul-girls break up the house it is a real treat with clouds of smoke, flying pictures and tumbling furniture combining in a glorious finale.
Not without its faults but also with plenty of charm, Judges gives us a spirited opener to the new season.
Blithe Spirit at Birmingham’s Crescent Theatre runs until Saturday, September 23. Click here for times, tickets and more information.
