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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.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1941
Genres
Comedy, Farce
Settings
Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
kent, england, 1940s
Cast Size
small
Ideal For
Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Mostly Female Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Ruth Condomine

Lead

Female

Spoken

Charles Condomine

Lead

Male

Spoken

Elvira Condomine

Lead

Female

Spoken

Edith

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Dr. George Bradman

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Mrs. Violet Bradman

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Madame Arcati

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher