Full of ghostly goings-on and mysterious misunderstandings Noël Coward’s supernatural comedy Blithe Spirit is a vintage night of laughter and thrills to look forward to in Perth Theatre.
Johnny McKnight directs the highly spirited Perth Theatre production which opens, appropriately, on Halloween, Thursday 31 October and runs until Saturday 16 November.
In need of inspiration for his next book, Novelist Charles Condomine and his wife Ruth hire the services of the eccentric psychic Madame Arcati. They are hoping for an evening of high spirits but when the madcap mystic accidentally brings Charles’s first wife Elvira back from beyond the grave, life - and the afterlife - become very complicated.
Noël Coward’s sharp wit, piercing eye for relationships and unforgettable characters have made him one of the truly great comic writers of British theatre with classic plays including Private Lives, Hay Fever and Present Laughter. When first produced Blithe Spirit became the most successful show the West End and Broadway had ever seen and ever since has proved timelessly enjoyable and enduringly popular - a true classic.
Johnny McKnight said:
“I’m absolutely delighted to be directing Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. It’s a play (and movie) that I’ve loved for as long as I can remember yet have never seen on a Scottish stage for over 10 years. Part Sixth Sense, part Victoria Wood, part Fatal Attraction, Blithe Spirit is a heady mixture that has yet to bettered. As a theatre-maker I want the audience to have a good night out, I want it to be fun, bold, camp. Blithe Spirit seems a natural fit for my own theatrical sensibilities and will hopefully introduce a new audience to the wit and wonder of Coward, whilst bringing a classic to the stage of Perth Theatre.”
Blithe Spirit opens on Thursday 31 October and runs until Saturday 16 November. For tickets and info contact Horsecross Arts Box Office on 01738 621031 visit www.horsecross.co.uk.
Continuing in the spiritual vein, the plucky people of Perth can join Glasgow Paranormal Investigators to explore the many mysterious tales of ghostly activity at Perth Theatre in a night full of chilling discoveries.
Part of the public campaign to raise funds for the transformation of the historic Fair City venue, fearless phantom hunters can secure their place on one of three night-time vigils with an invited donation of £50 or more to the Transform Perth Theatre project. For further information contact Horsecross Arts business development manager Louisa Jacobs on 01738 477721 or email ljacobs@horsecross.co.uk