Blithe Spirit at the Barnfield Theatre
Coward's Supernatural Comedy by Exeter Little Theatre Company
Sep 27, 2008
As the programme points out, this is a tricky play for a first-time director, and Bond’s blocking is more than competent, letting the actors do their stuff. If there’s a criticism to be made, it’s that Blithe Spirit isn’t a poor relation of The Importance of Being Earnest or Anything Goes – it isn’t one-speed light comedy. The play is funnier when it’s produced as Ghosts with a ghost, or Rebecca with a fit of the sulks. That said, Bond decided what she wanted from the piece, and got on with it well.
After a fairly leisurely-paced exposition, the production really comes alive when Ali Ransom (Ruth) and Jonathan Meyrick (Charles) are quarrelling. Their dialogue goes with a real zing, and during the longish narrative passages, one often wishes the Condomines would kick off again, and give us all another jolt. Ransom is extremely enjoyable as Ruth, and cleverly gives us a slightly different version of her character in the third act. Meyrick is never less than watchable, and frequently very funny. It'll be worth seeing what he ELTC cast him in next.
There’s a touch of Julie Walters about Frances Manhire’s performance of the psychic Madame Arcati, and another whole handful wouldn’t have done any harm at all. The chanting and garlic-waving of the last act gave us a look at how funny a character actress she is, and what she could do with the role of this brocaded old bat.
Jess Golby is really interesting as Edith the maid. When everyone else on stage gets to emote Noel Coward lines, Edith has to make do with “Yes ‘m!” and two different kinds of walking. Golby does an awful lot with them. There’s a story that the character of Gunther in Friends came about because Marta Kauffman gave one of the extras a line, and he absolutely slew the audience with it. Someone should slip a line or two into Jess Golby’s next part, and stand well back.
There’s plenty to enjoy in this production. Though the pace sometimes lags and there is the occasional dropped line, but sustaining momentum over three hours is never easy – so many other playwrights would have ended this one after Ruth crashes the car, but Coward is in it for the long haul. The costuming, by Nici Buckley, Lisa Leach and Rose Smith, is excellent. It’s definitely worth a trip down to the Barnfield to catch this one.
