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BLITHE
SPIRIT
BY NOEL COWARD
Directed by Anna McGowan
10TH AND 11TH JULY 2009
IN AID OF THE MS SOCIETY AND THE ITCHEN VALLEY CHURCHES
CAST
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Edith (a maid)
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Hattie Stacey
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Ruth
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Mary Hall
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Charles
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Stanhope Owen
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Dr Bradman
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Robert Hall
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Mrs Bradman
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Caroline Morgan
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Madame Arcati
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Lavinia Owen
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Elvira
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Maddy Woosnam
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Crew
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Nick Owen
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Anna Burness
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James Woosnam
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Sophie Jackson
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Clare Gaster
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Derek Ware
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Patrick Appleby
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Vernon tottle
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Chris Cheong
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Terry McGowan
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Jill Croft
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David Parker
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And many others.....
Blithe spirit – a brief history
Noel Coward wrote this play during a working holiday in Portmeirion, North
Wales. One day was spent discussing
the idea, conjuring up the names of the characters and formulating a rough idea
of the plot. In his autobiography
Coward wrote; “At seven thirty the next morning I sat, with the usual
palpitations, at my typewriter ... There was a pile of virgin paper on
my left and a box of carbons on my right.
The table wobbled and I had to put a wedge under one of its legs. ... I
fixed the paper into the machine and started
Blithe Spirit; A Light Comedy in Three
Acts. For six days I worked from
eight to one each morning and from two to seven each afternoon. On Friday evening the play was
finished ... and I knew it was going to be a success.”
Although it attracted criticism on its debut in 1941, making fun of death at the
height of World War II, it went on to become, at 1,997 performances, the longest
opening run of a West End play, a record only broken in 1970 by
Boeing-Boeing and subsequently
The Mousetrap.
The original cast included Fay Compton, Margaret Rutherford and Cecil Parker. Rex Harrison starred in the 1945 film
version alongside Margaret Rutherford who reprised her stage role of Madame
Arcati.
PRAISE FOR BLITHE SPIRIT
Congratulations on a wonderful
production – lovely performances and super staging! –
Mrs Andrea Frears
The production was perfect in
every way....It could not have been done better by full-time professional actors
– and no stage could have recreated that perfect setting your terrace allowed.
Sue
...heartiest congratulations to
you, your family and all the cast and troupe for your production of Blithe
Spirit. It was an outstanding
production and we much enjoyed it.
Mrs Heather Spencer
Congratulations, what a fun
play! Beautifully acted – and just
two families – such talent.
David and Sue Humphrey
...there were very assured
performances from all cast members....I found all the characters well drawn and
the action engaging at all times. Catherine Hahn (review in the Itchen
Abbas and Avington Village News)
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