Blithe Spirit, Noël Coward’s whimsical take on séances and the supernatural, received a spirited first performance at the O’Reilly last night. The strength of the production made one wish that the cast had tackled a more heavyweight play.
This light-hearted farce revolves around the return of the titular ‘blithe spirit’, Charles Condomine’s first wife, Elvira, from the land of the dead. After an apparently phoney psychic turns out to be quite genuine, Charles (Lewis Goodall) must try to return Elvira to the spirit world. Elvira, however, has her own plans. The acting was generally very strong, the direction solid. A number of performances stood out. Tatty Hennessy as Madame Arcati was a treat to watch. With some inspired and over-the-top comic touches, she turned a potentially lightweight role into a real performance. Julia McLaren as Elvira was imperious and commanding and an honourable mention should go to Lewis Goodall for the part of Charles. In this highly demanding role, his stamina and energy was impressive, and his characterisation never faltered.
Credit must also go to the production design. The set was simple and effective, and despite the lack of scene changes the situation never became monotonous. The costumes clearly and carefully emphasised the 1940s period. Though a few technical issues cropped up, these were hopefully mere first-night tremors, and are sure to be corrected as the run continues. The cast coped well, and were extremely responsive.
With such an excellent team, it would be interesting to see them attempt a stronger script. Of course, Noël Coward’s dialogue is never less than sparkling – but despite the intricate twists and turns of the plot, it remains a rather lightweight piece. Nonetheless, Blithe Spirit is an amusing and well-acted night’s entertainment.
four stars
Blithe Spirit is at the Keble O’Reilly theatre until Saturday.
