Blithe Spirit
★★★★☆ Spectral
Napier University Craiglockhart: Thu 21 – Sun 24 Nov 2024
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Up-and-coming local amateur company The Forth Act has boldly taken on one of Noël Cowards best-known and oft-produced plays with strong success.
Blithe Spirit follows the hijinks that ensue when novelist Charles Condomine, researching material for his next book, arranges a séance to take place in his home, and the hapless medium Madame Arcati unwittingly unleashes the ghost of Charles’s first wife Elvira on the premises.
Invisible to anyone but Charles, Elvira sows discord between him and his second (and still living) wife Ruth, flounces about wanting to go to the cinema, and tries to work out how to be with Charles forever — at any cost.
Wag, Josie Williams, Jac Wheble, Ahmed Masood Nabi Nur and Samuela Noumtchuet. Pic Andrew Morris Photography
In classic Coward three-act style, Blithe Spirit has plenty of twists and turns along the way, full of clever dialogue and sarcastic comedy.
While it might be tempting to label it as ‘black’ or ‘dark’ comedy due to the inescapable presence of death, it doesn’t really qualify. Coward’s somewhat flippant —dare we say blithe— treatment of the subject is what makes the play so funny; in a farce, the ridiculous must be taken seriously to succeed.
earnest frustration
The Forth Act’s production does this admirably. Ahmed Masood Nabi Nur plays Charles with earnest frustration and disbelief, capturing the whiplash that comes with Elvira’s sudden appearance only to him.
Meanwhile, the stoic sceptic that is Ruth is wonderfully portrayed by Josie Williams, who struggles to maintain her stiff upper lip and cool head when she is finally convinced of Elvira’s presence and tries to reason with her predecessor.
Josie Williams and Irena Komunjer. Pic: Andrew Morris Photography
Self-described “vintage lady” Irena Komunjer is perfectly cast as Elvira, and dazzles in every scene she appears, both figuratively and literally, in a sparkling Art Deco-inspired costume by Gill Daniell (and team). Komunjer’s vocal choices, movement, and gestures are straight out of the late 1920’s-early 30’s era in which Elvira died, a flapper whose exuberance was cut short.
physical comedy
The ensemble is rounded out by Wag and Samuela Noumtchuet as Dr. and Mrs. Bradman – amiable, but utterly clueless as to the supernatural shenanigans. Jenna Donoghue plays the Condomine’s maid Edith, opening the play with a piece of physical comedy that never gets less funny.
And last, but certainly not least, is Jac Wheble as Madame Arcati. Alternately whispering, bellowing, and singing out in her role as the ill-prepared medium, she flings herself about the space with admirable abandon.
Josie Williams, Jac Wheble and Samuela Noumtchuet. Pic: Andrew Morris Photography
Mairi Cross and Nathaniel Forsyth have made a sterling effort with the direction of this piece. The major quibble is the internal pace of scenes, which does not quite measure up to the play’s writing.
The pace is consistently too consistent, lacking the crackling, snappy delivery that is so inherent to any Coward play. Pauses that might be tiny in most other scripts feel lengthy here, gaps that allow too much time for both actors and audience to breathe, pulling energy and comedy from the lines, and robbing the moments that truly deserve a pause of their impact.
tightening and detail
It’s still a very funny play, but could have been further elevated with a little more tightening and detail.
Cross, Forsyth, and team have taken full advantage of the Siegfried Room in which the play is performed. The large bay window and wall-mounted lighting fixtures lend themselves easily to the room’s transformation into the drawing-sitting-breakfast room of the play. A few pieces of furniture and a bit of set dressing sit well in the room, complemented by sound and lighting from Simon Ferguson.
Josie Williams and Jenna Donoghue. Pic Andrew Morris Photography
There are no true blackouts in the play, and Ferguson’s manipulation of the few lighting fixtures in use is simple and well-executed, particularly how Elvira’s appearance is highlighted. One aural niggle is that when music is played “from” the gramophone in one corner of the room, the sound is patched through both of two highly directional speakers on opposite sides of the room, destroying any pretence that the gramophone might actually be the source of the music.
aplomb
Blithe Spirit is a difficult play performed well, by a cast and supporting company who clearly love what they’re doing, and have set out to do it with aplomb. If you’re used to sticking to central Edinburgh for your evening’s entertainment, break that habit and make your way out to Craiglockhart to catch it.
Running time: Three hours (including one interval)
Siegfried Room, Edinburgh Napier University Craiglockhart Campus, 219 Colinton Road EH14 1DJ
Thu 21 – Sun 24 November 2024
Thurs – Sat: 7pm. Sun: 2pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Josie Williams and Ahmed Masood Nabi Nur. Pic Andrew Morris Photography
Ahmed Masood Nabi Nur and Irena Komunjer. Pic: Andrew Morris Photography
ENDS
