21st – 23rd March 1963
Charles Condomine, a successful novelist, wishes to learn about the occult for a novel he is writing, and he arranges for an eccentric medium, Madame Arcati, to hold a séance at his house. At the séance, she inadvertently summons Charles’s first wife, Elvira, who has been dead for seven years.
The Cast
Edith: Ann Curran
Ruth: Marion Wellstead
Charles: Peter Monger
Doctor Bradman: Tom Stephens
Mrs Bradman: Iza Dolan
Madame Arcarti: Margaret Pilkington
Elvira: Beryl Braidley
Produced by Frank Meakins
Newbury Weekly News review
Compton’s really Blithe Spirit
Compton Players chalked up another success with their triple production of Blithe Spirit.
Although many of the capacity audiences must have been familiar with Noel Coward’s play, having seen either the original or the film, they appreciated the excellent performances given by the active village group.
Margaret Pilkington captured the exact role of Madame Arcarti, the medium. As Evira, the dead wife who appears at the séance, Beryl Braidley captivated with her pranks and pointed remarks. Peter Monger carried the part of Mr Condomine, torn between his love for Elvira and his second wife, Ruth. This difficult part was capably mastered by Marion Wellstead, convincingly distraught, nervy, and hysterical as the occasion demanded.
The parts of Mrs Bradman, who treats Madame Arcarti as a huge joke, and her sceptical husband were played by Iza Dolan and Tom Stephens. Ann Curran was again well cast as Edith, who eventually saves the day. Frank Meakins produced, the quality of the stage performance being matched by the competency behind the scenes.
