Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit was directed by Matthew Owen. It was performed at Alleyn`s School, Dulwich from Wednesday 30th October to Saturday 2nd November 2024
Cast
Edith Charlotte Holmes
Ruth Condomine Phoebe Morgan
Charles Condomine Ed Beesley
Dr George Bradman Ian Jones
Mrs Violet Bradman Rebecca Dallaway
Madame Arcati Alex Curran
Elvira Condomine Chloe Penfold
Director: Matthew Owen
Assistant Director : Rebecca Dallaway
Creatives
Stage Manager Gill Daly
assisted by Judy Douglas, Kevin Edwards
Wardrobe: Rebecca Dallaway , Imogen Ursell
Lighting: Roger Orr
Sound : Hugh Blake-James
Hair and make-up: Severine Powell
Photography: Philip Gammon
Poster Design: Clarisse Hassan
Blithe Spirit Review
By Paul Sykes
For some of the older members of the Dulwich Players, Noel Coward’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ is a play (and a film) which we have grown up with. Many famous names of yesteryear have tackled the sparkling roles Coward created: Rex Harrison, Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury, and more recently, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders. It was therefore courageous of Matt Owen to make his directing debut with the Dulwich Players with this much-loved farce. It’s a play that requires an agile ensemble cast capable of sustaining pace and quick-fire repartee, whilst maintaining the poise and mannerisms of the 1940s. This can be trickly for a generation of 21st century actors. So .... did the cast and director succeed? Yes, is the short answer and the audience was entertained with a spirited (pun intended!) and fun evening
A very brief summary of the play for those unfortunate enough not to have seen it: at the core of the farce is Charles Condomine, played by Ed Beesley, a writer who becomes haunted by his former wife, Elvira, played by Chloe Penfold. Her return is the unexpected result of a seance with a medium, Madame Arcati, played by Alex Curran. Condomine’s current wife, Ruth, played by Phoebe Morgan, becomes increasingly frustrated and annoyed by the presence of Elvira’s ghost (which Ruth cannot see). In an attempt to be with Charles forever, Elvira sabotages his car in order that he "passes over" but it is Ruth who drives the car and is killed. She too then becomes a ghost and poor Charles is haunted by two former wives. Re-enter Madam Arcati to rid Charles of both ghosts. Despite many seances and rituals, the two spirits remain with Charles until Madame Arcati realises that it is the maid,Edith, (played by Charlotte Holmes) who holds the key to their release.
It was an absolute delight to see a cast with so many new, and recently joined new faces. Ed Beesley , last seen in The Watsons, gave an assured and balanced performance as Charles. His was the central role of a man torn between his love of one living and one dead wife and increasingly frustrated by the inability to rid himself of first one and then two ghosts.
A newcomer to the DPs is Phoebe Morgan as Charles' wife, Ruth Condomine. What an impressive debut! Ruth’s growing desperation and frustration with the presence of this unseen spirit were manifest in her increasinly machine-gun like staccato delivery of lines to Charles who was battered by her verbal tornadoes. I was impressed by her ability to avoid seeing Elvira on stage – it must be very tempting to glance at the other actress but Phoebe did a fine job of maintaining this theatrical device.
Another new presence on the DP stage was Chloe Penfold. And I can only say one word, “Wow”. For sheer elegance, grace and clarity, Chloe was tremendous. She appeared to glide across the stage as Elvira and was by turns beguiling and ruthless with Charles and Ruth. I hope this is the beginning of a long string of stage appearances by Chloe.
Supporting these three characters were Chloe’s mother, Rebecca Dallaway, as Mrs Bradman and Ian Jones as Dr Bradman. Rebecca’s performance was outstanding not least because she was an extremely late stand-in for the role. But Rebecca is a seasoned trouper and the audience saw an assured and word perfect Mrs Bradman. Ian’s Dr Bradman was confidently portrayed as a rational, sceptical friend of Charles Condomine. Ian gave us a solid, dependable country doctor who stood in contrast to the increasingly frenetic goings on in Charles’s house.
Charlotte Holmes’ portrayal of the comical maid Edith was a delight. A 'Whirling Dervish' of a character constantly being told to slow down and but clearly unable to resist hurtling round the stage. Charlotte seems to have cornered the market in these comic parts.
Which brings me to Madame Arcati. It is this role that can make or break the play: whenever this character is on stage she dominates the action. It is hard to think of anyone other than Alex who would play this part. She brought all her vocal and physical dexterity into play. Alex was like a human angle-poise lamp, striking strange poses and totally embodying the flamboyant character as she wafted around the stage.
As with any production, the actors are but one part of play. The costumes and make-up, especially for the ghosts, were essential to set the tone and period. They were all splendid and a tribute to the work of Rebecca Dallaway and Imogen Ursell in costuming the actors and to Severine Powell's supereb make-up and hairstyling: Elvira positively glistened from head to toe as the pale ghost, thanks to Severine.
Sound and lighting often go unremarked but are always essential to ensure the building of atmosphere. Roger Orr on lights and Hugh Blake-James on sound were always on the ball. Even before the play began, the audience could hear a record playing and an ethereal, ghostly mist hung across the stage: very atmospheric. I particularly liked the fact that the music played as soon as an actors placed the gramophone needle on the disc. A small detail but one that added to the quality of the production.
The stage crew, Gill Daly, Judy Douglas and Kevin Edwards, also deserve mention. They worked hard against the clock to complete the scene changes in the half light, and even seemed to have developed their own characters as members of the Condomine household.
Dulwich Players' productions, like many others today, avoid box sets but the staging conveyed the sense of a well appointed house in deepest Kent. I rather liked the chaise longue which became a particularly good prop for a comical moment between Madame Arcati and Elvira's ghost.
If I have one criticism, it is that the play could have been judiciously edited to complete within two hours. But that may be nitpicking. This was a production of which the Dulwich Players can be very proud.
