Noël Coward's "Blithe Spirit" may be a revival at the National Theatre, but the show does not seem to have aged at all.
Its sharp wit is still fresh after all these years. It is a riveting and hilarious criticism of the phrase "As long as you both shall live" that brought the audience at the opening night on March 18 to uproarious laughter on more than one occasion. Much of the credit belongs to the cast, headlined by Dame Angela Lansbury.
More charismatic and comedic than imagined, the incomparable star of stage and screen Lansbury plays the role of Madame Arcati, a spiritual medium who, much by accident, brings the spirit of socialite Charles's first wife, Elvira, back from the other side. Lansbury, who will turn 90 years old this year, steals every scene she is in. When she made her first entrance about a third of the way into the first act, much of the audience rose to its feet and the ovation filled the theater, all while the play was still unfolding.
Madame Arcati is an odd woman. The sort who insists on riding her bicycle everywhere and genuinely frets about what going into a trance would be like after eating cucumber sandwiches. Lansbury is absolutely set free in bringing her to life. Her gestures are as expressive as her vocals, delivering every line with authority and pliancy.
That the rest of the cast rose to her level is a testament to the ability of the other players. As Charles, Charles Edwards is at the center of the production, both narratively and comically. He is impeccably cast, with the versatility to be effective playing both arrogant and bewildered. The performances that are the most memorable, however, belong to his two wives.
First we meet Ruth, Charles's second wife, played by Charlotte Parry. What is so impressive about this performance is the way Parry is able to convincingly portray Ruth's authentic anger with Charles at many points in the story, while still making it clear that she loves him unconditionally. That is challenged by one condition, however, when Elvira appears to be staying with them for good.
Elvira is played by Melissa Woodbridge, a mesmerizing beauty draped in ghostly white. Her character flips back and forth between being a silent and mysterious specter and a childlike and playful one. Through this character, "Blithe Spirit" asserts its quirky humor. Elvira is a ghost who clearly saw her fair share of ghost movies while she was living, and she intends to have a good time. She covers herself in a sheet to scare her way to a good laugh. She makes audible "ooo"s, knowing full-well that no one can hear her, as she carries objects wobbling across the room.
National Theatre's production of "Blithe Spirit" left no detail overlooked. From the constant light breeze against the curtains to the clever title cards, it is a fully realized production.
"Blithe Spirit" runs about two and a half hours with one intermission, and will be at the National Theatre - where Lansbury made her stage debut 58 years ago - through March 29.
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