Blithe Spirit

Noël Coward’s 80-year-old classic - Blithe Spirit - seems an unusual choice for student actors in their teens and twenties, and their young audience, but PAANDA - Performing Arts Society of Notre Dame is finding an audience for this show, with its well-attended season of this show.

Debut director Georgia Comerford shows a sound understanding of the play and the era, and with set managers Will Evans and Amy Hannaford, nicely creates a forties era sitting room, complete with some great properties (Holly Lynch). Bec Simpkins nicely creates costumes that evoke the time, with some especially lovely work on some of the women’s outfits. Cat Acres has provided an evocative lighting design, with supportive sound design by Hannah Quaden.

Naturally, being a ’student aged' cast, most actors are way too young for their roles, and some audience imagination is required, but the British accents are nicely handled, and characters are well established.

Central character Charles Condamine is played with conviction by Josh McNeill, in his first performance since school, although slowing his delivery would help his performance reach its full potential. He works nicely with ‘current wife’ Ruth, played with lovely cynicism and elegance by Maddy Holland, and with accidentally conjured dead ‘ghost wife’ Elvira, given a beautiful vindictive streak by Jasmin Milne.

In an inspired casting choice, the role of eccentric medium Madam Arcarti, is played by Matthew Jones. A gorgeously energised performance, Arcarti is given the power, presence and hint of the ribald that you would get in a pantomime dame, while Jones somehow plays this highly unconventional and occasionally borderline hysterical woman almost ’straight’. 

Lovely support from Indy O’Dea and Lily Slattery working hard to bring maturity and ease to Doctor and Mrs. Bradman, while Orla Poole brings lovely comic timing to maid Edith, perpetually stuck on ‘fast forward”. 

Great fun, and a bundle of terrible characters (beautifully characterised) that you come to love, Blithe Spirit is a great choice for anyone unfamiliar with this very famous play, and a faithful but fresh take for those who think they have seen it all before.

Kimberley Shaw