Blithe Spirit at National Theatre

Blithe Spirit is a classic comedy play, written by Noël Coward in 1941. The play follows the story of novelist Charles Condomine who, hoping to gather material for his next book, invites eccentric medium Madame Arcati to conduct a séance in his home. The séance proves a little too successful when it accidentally conjures the ghost of Charles' deceased first wife, Elvira. This comedic situation unfolds as Charles struggles to deal with his formidable first wife's return, all while trying to keep it a secret from his very much alive second wife, Ruth. The play was a massive success, running for nearly 2,000 performances in London's West End alone. It has been revived numerous times and even adapted into a 1945 film of the same name.

Authors

• Noel Coward