Overview
Synopsis
Blithe Spirit is set at the house of writer, Charles Condomine, and his wife, Ruth. One evening, Charles invites local eccentric medium, Madame Arcati, to hold a seance at his house. He asks along his friends, Dr. and Mrs. Bradman, intending to gather character inspiration from Madame Arcati for his latest book. Despite initially thinking the seance has been a failure, it soon becomes clear that Madame Arcati has unwittingly brought back Charles’ first wife, Elvira, to haunt him. Once in his house, Elvira is unable to leave and, as she cannot be seen or heard by Ruth, she causes all kinds of mischievous trouble between the married couple. When Elvira unwittingly causes Ruth’s death in her attempts to bring Charles over to be with her, Charles becomes haunted by both of his now-deceased wives. Frustrated by their odd situation, the threesome call on Madame Arcati once more to send Elvira and Ruth back to the other side. Intensely funny and character-driven, Blithe Spirit combines farce, emotion, and wit to great effect.
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Context
Blithe Spirit was first produced at the Manchester Opera House in June 1941, before making its West End premiere at the Piccadilly Theatre the following month. It held the record for the longest running non-musical play in the West End, only surpassed by The Mousetrap in 1957. The play premiered on Broadway in November 1941 at the Morosco Theatre, running for 657 performances. In 1945, the play was made into a film, with Rex Harrison playing Charles Condomine. Blithe Spirit has had many
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Act One
It is almost time for dinner in the Condomine household and the new maid, Edith, has brought the pre-dinner cocktails through to the living room. She is inexperienced and nervous, and is made more so by Ruth Condomine’s brisk commands. When Ruth’s husband, Charles Condomine, comes down for drinks, the couple discuss the evening ahead. Charles has invited Madame Arcati, an eccentric local medium, to perform a seance in the house as research material for his next book. They have
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Blithe Spirit.
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher