Blithe Spirit

Written by Noël Coward

Narrated by Corin Redgrave, Kika Markham, Full Cast and 2 more

When novelist Charles Condomine invites a medium into his house in order to learn about the occult for his new book, the last thing he or his second wife dream is that the séance will bring back his first wife, Elvira, who wants Charles all to herself! Things are further complicated by the fact that only Charles can see her, which results in some hilarious exchanges and misunderstandings. Elvira’s plots to get him to "the other side" do not go to plan however, and instead of Charles dying in her contrived "accident" his new wife does! Many consider this to be one of Coward’s best and most unusual farces.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: May 1, 2002
• ISBN: 9789629546823

Noël Coward

Noël Coward (1899–1973), also known as Sir Noël Peirce Coward, was an English writer, director and performer. He studied dance and acting as a child, before making his professional debut at age 12. As a teen, he began writing plays including the comedy I’ll Leave It to You, which debuted in 1920. Over the course of his career, Coward penned more than 50 plays such as Private Lives, Present Laughter and Blithe Spirit. During his final years, he received knighthood (in 1969) followed by a Tony Award for lifetime achievement.

Reviews for Blithe Spirit

[ronophonic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh, Coward! Delightful! Well done, Sir Noel! A joy from start to finish! Impeccable performances!

[D · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful, to say the least!
A very well written play that made me smile, through all of it.

[drronmccoy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful adaptation of the play. While full of witty lines, it contrasts starkly with the underlying themes, which when you look at them, are actually quite sinister. The comic nature of the writing makes them more palatable, but afterwards, one is left with a sense of malevolence. However, highly recommended!

[thothj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Noel Coward at his best.

[kirstiecat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, Noel Coward might not be as funny as Oscar Wilde but this is still an enjoyable read. It's a little unexpected and also a bit wicked (I have a hard time even typing that word but I think it's sort of apt.) It takes place, like Wilde's plays, it takes place within the aristocracy and deals in sometimes flightly ways with their interpersonal relationships. There are times you laugh out loud even though it probably would be a tragedy if written differently. At the same time, it's not as much of a witty criticism as Oscar usually provides.