Awash with pastels, Regency grandeur and plenty of humour and sass, Blithe Spirit at Hope Mill Theatre was well received at its premiere last night.
Directed by Hannah Ellis Ryan, the show had been advertised as having had a ‘Northern makeover’ and described as a fierce, feminist and funny take on the famous 1941 wartime play by Noel Coward.
Ruth Condomine, played by Ntombizodwa Ndlovu, is the wife of frustrated novelist Charles Condomine (Welsh actor Peter Stones). She announces she has an odd feeling “this evening’s going to be awful”. Her husband reassures her it will be “funny but not awful”.
Expect unconventional séances, not-so-ethereal spirits, and plenty of flirtation. Sharp dialogue, slick acting and seamless transitions kept the audience totally engaged throughout.
Ruth kept her husband Charles in check throughout the performance. She chastised him for his sweeping assumptions about women and told him he has been dominated by women his whole life.
They are superbly supported by the other five members of the cast: Karen Henthorn is Madame Acarti, Kayleigh Hawkins plays Elvira, Lucas Cheong Smith is Mr Bradman, Laura Littlewood is Mrs Bradman and Riah Amelie is Edith.
Ruth cut a striking figure in a glittering ball gown. Charles and Mr Bradman donned smart suits.
The female cast were all elegantly dressed in Regency-inspired empire waistline dresses, with the exception of Madame Acarti who changed into a pair of trousers mid-performance. This seemed slightly odd, but then again, that may have been the point.
There were some inconsistencies. A gramophone was visible on stage and a car was referred to throughout – not yet invented in the late-Georgian ‘Regency era’. If authenticity is very important to you, this may not be the production for you.
In terms of the cast’s ‘Northerness’, only one of the performers spoke in a discernibly northern accent: eccentric medium Madame Acarti. Played by Lancashire-born Henthorn, her larger-than-life ‘nutty’ persona was favoured by the audience.
Madame Acarti’s strong regional accent separated her from the rest of the cast who spoke in upper-class southern accents (except for the minor role of the maid Edith).
It does beg the question: is it coincidental or is her northern accent being used to add comic value to the character? If it is the latter, what message does that give out to the next generation of young northerners?
Nonetheless, Blithe Spirit provides well-needed escapism and distraction, just as it was originally intended by playwright Coward in 1940s wartime Britain.
The show has been created by HER Productions, a female-led theatre company based in Manchester, providing space and opportunities for female creatives.
Blithe Spirit runs until February 22 at Hope Mill Theatre.
Feature image courtesy of Lowri Burkinshaw Photography
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