A ghost in the machine causes mischief in Kenilworth play

NOEL Coward’s Blithe Spirit is an ideal choice to cheer up a dreary cold winter’s evening.

Middle aged novelist Charles Condomine, happily married to Ruth, needs background colour for his new novel, so he invites the local doctor and his wife to dinner and asks medium Madame Arcati to conduct a séance. Unfortunately she conjures up his first wife Elvira, who proves to be a very disruptive influence.

The set was sumptuous in shades of pale green and cream, complete with radiogram, cocktails, huge vases of flowers and bric-a-brac. Coward’s speeches are razor sharp. Arguments never involve raised voices or undertones of violence; instead there is the well honed barb delivered at a rattling pace.

Martin Eggleston as Condomine hit just the right note of pompous exasperation and bewilderment. He captured all the mannerisms of fashionable men of the period and was an excellent foil to his two wives. Elvira, the ghostly first wife (Julie Godfrey), was highly strung and mischievous and contrasted with the more solid and grounded figure of Ruth (Chris Ives). Christine Carpenter had great fun exploring the eccentricities of Madam Arcati with her floating clothes, crystals and rhyming incantations. But the scene stealer was often little Edith the maid (Sarah Cullen) - her nervy over-eagerness was beautifully judged.

There was a power cut during the final act. As we sat in the darkness, it was tempting to wonder what else Madame Arcati had conjured up.

Sal McKeown