REVIEW - Blithe Spirit will have you in stitches, with the strong cast beautifully bringing this classic to life!

On Thursday, we were invited to the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester to watch Blithe Spirit. Our reviewer Abi Holden loved the show. Read what she had to say about this Noel Coward classic...

The beautiful Hope Mill Theatre has flung open its doors once more in order to bring Manchester some theatre joy and they have not left us in want of anything! Having never heard of Blithe Spirit, I didn’t really know what to expect, coming into the theatre. However, I did know that it had been written by Noel Coward, so I knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed. The theatre itself is cosy and, having never been there before, I instantly fell in love with it. It made the perfect backdrop for the comedy we were about to see.

The tale is that of writer Charles Condomine (Peter Stone - The Plot Thickens; The Four Horsemen) who, to get material for his new book that centres on a clairvoyant, decides to host a dinner party with his wife Ruth (Ntombizodwa Ndlovu - A Time For Giving; You, Me & Her) and invite the local clairvoyant and author Madame Acarti (Karen Henthorn - Eastenders; Coronation Street). Along with their guests, Doctor George Bradman (Lucas Cheong Smith - Cat on A Hot Tin Roof; Warbride of Mormon County) and his wife Violet (Laura Littlewood - Coronation Street; Oh By The Way I Hate Myself), they prepare themselves to be tricked by Madame Acarti into an orchestrated experience of lies and falsity.

However, Madame Acarti does the unbelievable of bringing back Charles’ previous wife, who had died, Elvira Condomine (Kayleigh Hawkins - Herding Cats; Lear [director]). With only Charles being able to see and hear her, he insists he is joking, to the Bradmans and Madame Acarti, only then to upset Ruth when he is trying to have two conversations at once with his wives. Ruth then calls upon the assistance of Madame Acarti once more, after Charles convinces her that he is not going mad and can, in fact, see and interact with his dead wife. Madame Acarti refuses to help, after Ruth lets it slip that they only invited her around the first time because Charles wanted to see how she worked for his novel. The first half of the play ends with Charles and Ruth at odds, because he has been spending too much time with Elvira.

The second half begins with Charles in a sling and their maid, Edith (Riah Amelle - Enough.; Romeo & Juliet) with a bandage around her head after falling down the stairs. Ruth figures out that Elvira is trying to kill Charles, so that they can be together, and Charles distracts Elvira whilst Ruth takes the car to go and fetch Madame Acarti. Unbeknownst to them, Elvira has fiddled with the car, and Ruth also dies. Madame Acarti, feeling guilty about not helping Ruth and then her dying, comes to the house to help Charles get rid of Elvira, who also wants to leave because she knows Charles won’t be with her for eternity. Instead of sending Elvira back, however, they end up bringing Ruth through too. Despite their efforts, they cannot send them back when Madame Acarti reveals that there must be another clairvoyant in the house. Edith appears, not knowing she has been summoned by Madame Acarti and reveals that she can see the wives too. She is put into a trance and manages to get rid of the pair, back to the other side. Charles is then advised, by Madame Acarti to leave the house and the play ends with him doing so as the wives cause chaos around the house, this time unseen and unheard.

The set for this play was a perfect front room, with a fireplace, piano, armchairs and a sofa, which the intimate nature of the Hope Mill Theatre really helped the audience to feel as though they were a part of the action. It was utterly immersive and I absolutely loved it. The use of lighting to create that spooky ambience for the seances that occurred was really brilliant and, along with the knocks, made it really feel like you were witnessing the crossing of two worlds.

Ntombizodwa Ndlovu as Ruth was a wonder. The way that she played not being able to see Elvira was amazing and hilarious. She went from angry to upset to loving wife seamlessly and her bolshy portrayal of Ruth really helped the audience to understand her frustration at the situation she found herself in. And when she came back as a ghost, I loved the annoyance that she poured out that she had been brought back. Peter Stone as Charles was hilarious. His wonderful facial expressions meant that words were not needed to show his exasperation towards either wife, or his desperation towards Madame Acarti when he wanted rid of them. The dramatic nature of the writer was portrayed perfectly with an almost petulant child vibe, especially when he had to wear a sling.

Karen Henthorn as Madame Acarti was a comedy genius in her role as the clairvoyant. The way she embodied the kooky, eccentric older lady really tied the action together. Her northern accent and her physicality really did add to the comedy of the role. I especially loved the moment she picked up a plate of cucumber sandwiches and poured them into her handbag. From the moment she entered the stage, the audience was enthralled and hung onto everything she did, just waiting for the next laugh. Kayleigh Hawkins was perfect as Elvira and really gave the play its ‘bad guy’ character with precision and elegance. She was funny and whiny and really played the part when her plan with the car goes wrong brilliantly (as Elvira wants to kill Charles and not Ruth). One particular favourite moment of hers was when she was moving things across the stage, to try and convince Ruth she was there. I was in stitches as she flung the piano stool to the floor.

Lucas Cheong Smith portrayed the reluctant and unbelieving George Bradman with poise and grace. The way he spoke, when talking about his work as a doctor, really made you believe that he was enthusiastic about his craft. I loved the chemistry he had with his onstage wife and the verbal sparring that they partake in throughout. Laura Littlewood as the flirty Violet Bradman came into her own when she gave her wonderful and hilarious rendition of Whitney Houston’s classic ‘I Will Always Love You’. She didn’t have much stage time but that moment really stood out to me. It was just so good and so funny. The whole audience seemed to love it. We were all in stitches. Riah Amelle as Edith was a wonder of physical comedy, especially at the start of the play. The way she walked across the stage, almost painfully slowly, after being told not to run everywhere, was beyond amusing and set up the tone of the comedy that was to come in the rest of the play. She also has a lovely singing voice, as she sang the wives back to the other side, towards the end of the play.

This classic comedy is hilarious and beautiful and this cast really brings the story to life. I urge you to go and see this comic wonder at the Hope Mill Theatre before the run ends on 22nd February. If you like laughing, you’ll absolutely love this. I know, for a fact, that I will be chuckling about certain parts for weeks to come.

WE SCORE BLITHE SPIRIT...

WATCH OUR "IN CONVERSATION WITH LAURA LITTLEWOOD" VIDEO DISCUSSING THE SHOW


Blithe Spirit is on at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 22nd February 2025


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Photos credit - Lowri Burkinshaw Photography