Blithe Spirit, Harold Pinter Theatre, ★ ★

They claim fame sells, and I can’t disagree. Theatre Producers have latched onto that notion for centuries. I was recently tempted to drag myself to Windsor to see Sir Ian McKellen’s current season at the Theatre Royal, but I couldn’t fit his last week of Hamlet into my busy week; but I am tempted to go visit The Cherry Orchard, next month. 

I too, have certainly been guilty of buying tickets because of the actors; be it a few Dames like Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Penelope Wilton, Helen Mirren or Eileen Atkins, and a few Knights like the aforementioned McKellen, David Suchet, Michael Gambon. There are numerous others that can be included, and no doubt will soon be honoured too, like Zoë Wanamaker and Imelda Staunton.

Tonight, it was Jennifer Saunders on stage, in a role that I was lucky enough to see Dame Angela Landsbury star-in, seven years ago.  Since then, Dame Judi has also appeared in a film adaptation, so I suppose you can argue the material must hold a particular charm. When I first saw the hype about Ms Saunders appearance as the infamous Madame Arcati, (that all the dames seem to be destined for!), I did want to see this production of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. To be honest, I thought this production was a continuation tour of the production I saw Dame Landsbury in, a few years ago. 

The main reason was the unfortunate similarity of the costumes and poses in the publicity shots. But it soon became apparent that this production at the Harold Pinter Theatre, directed by veteran theatre director, Richard Eyre, was a new venture.

The trouble with Coward’s plays, is the need of an English upper-class twang in the delivery, in order to make the play sing. I’ll never forget my first experience of this in the West End production of Private Lives, a eleven years ago. Get this right, and the whole play travels beautifully. But pitch it wrong, and it becomes like a spoof comedy sketch, for the BBC in the 1940’s! Unfortunately, in the first act, this is what this production felt like, and I kept expecting to see Ms Saunders comedy sparring partner Ms French, bouncing in, to complete the comedic pay-off. 

This comedic ghost story is well-known; its about widowed writer Charles Condomine (Geoffrey Streatfeild) who lives in a lavish country house with his second wife, Ruth (Lisa Dillon). In order to satisfy their curiosity in the name of research, they invite the eccentric medium Madame Arcati (Jennifer Saunders) into their home, to hold a seance. The seance is carried out after their dinner party with the local doctor and his wife, where Charles’ ethereal first wife Elvira (Madeleline Mantock) crosses over, back from the dead, in order to torment him. 

The main comedy thrust of the play is derived from the conversations between Charles and his invisible wife, which is misinterpreted and miss understood by his fellow housemates. The other comedic element is the clumsy rushing maid (Rose Wardlaw) which is a key character in the whole piece. I’m afraid that Wardlaw's attempt was as timid and weak, as the set. What should have been solid and grand, was far more flimsy and wooden, with the hardboard doors, cheap curtains and the photographic canvas garden a big disappointment. Minor errors which could have been overcome by easy remedies. 

Ms Saunders greatly improved in the second act, where her comedy timing and excellent stage presence made her stand out from the mediocre melodramatic fellow company members. But unfortunately, the dreadful choice of cheap, tv sitcom music, which crept in towards the end of each scene, amplified the cheap melodramatic mess on stage. This was unfortunate and unforgiving for such an experienced stage director. 

I’d like to suggest it’s worth seeing, purely for the staring-role of Ms Saunders, but with the cheapest tickets at £15 in the Royal Circle (with the Balcony clearly not sold) and its incovenient restricted view of the set, and the accompanied unfortunate loud on-off sound of the follow-spot, I wouldn’t bother. Rent the new film version, and spend the evening at home with Dame Judi, with a full view, a stronger company and no jobsworth ushers!.

Blithe Spirit, Harold Pinter Theatre,  ★ ★