Widely considered to be one of Noël Coward’s greatest works, Blithe Spirit will be presented by New Theatre as its final production for 2026.
Charles Condomine is a man trapped between two wives – one living, one very much deceased. When Charles and his second wife, Ruth, invite eccentric medium Madame Arcati to conduct a séance, he hopes to gather inspiration for his next novel.
Instead, Madame Arcati inadvertently summons the mischievous ghost of Charles’s first wife, Elvira. Invisible to Ruth but impossible to ignore, Elvira sets about causing chaos in her former home.
First performed during the Blitz, Blithe Spirit offered much-needed laughter. Nearly nine decades later, Coward’s sparkling farce remains irresistibly funny and delightfully wicked.
Directed by Rosane McNamara (The Spook, New Theatre 2022), the production features an all-star cast, with faces that many will recognise! Featuring Mike Booth, who many will remember from the sold-out season of Posh at Old Fitz, Emily Weare and Michela Noonan, both last seen on the New Theatre stage in Present Laughter, Gina Cohen who appeared in The Laramie Project, as well as some very exciting New Theatre debuts!
“Directing Coward is essentially about putting his wit and satire front and centre. Coward wrote in one of his songs: I believe that since my life began / The most I’ve had is just a talent to amuse,” said Rosane McNamara.
“Although he also wrote serious plays and film scripts, fundamentally, he had a prodigious talent for comedy. His themes tend to revolve around, love, sex and the eternal battle of the sexes.”
“Though British to the core, he saw the satire rooted in the empire (Mad Dogs and Englishmen) and, as someone steeped in performance from an early age, he loved the theatre with all its traditions and farcical behaviours (Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage Mrs. Worthington).”
“I’ve always admired Noel Coward’s ability to harness the English language satirically. His wordsmithery (if that’s a word) is a gift to actors. Blithe Spirit has always been my favourite of his comedies and I believe it remains Coward’s most popular comedy with audiences.”
“Although all of his comedies have his trademark wit and banter, Blithe Spirit has the most developed and, in my opinion, the funniest plot of any of his major comedies presenting a wonderful twist on the battle of the sexes; with the main character caught in a love triangle between the ghost of his dead first wife and his very-much-alive second wife.”
“Perhaps only Noël Coward could have thought up such a hilarious plot and such amusing twists and turns within it. The fact that Coward wrote a play about life and death in the middle of the Blitz in London in 1941, says a lot about his understanding of human nature and indeed of the British character.”
“At a time when people were dying for their country and bombs were falling on their homes, Coward gave audiences some relief through laughter. That’s something that we all need,” said McNamara.
“Stylistically, it is Coward’s masterpiece… his most complete success in imposing his own view of things on the brute facts of existence.” – The Times
Director: Rosane McNamara | Featuring: Simon Bolton, Mike Booth, Gina Cohen, Daisy Cousens, Brigid Jeffries, Michela Noonan, Emily Weare | Assistant Director: Emily Saint Smith | Set Design: Tom Bannerman | Costume Designers: Deb Mulhall, Helen Kohlhagen | Lighting & Sound Designer: Michael Schell | Lighting & Sound Operator: Ricci Costa
Blithe Spirit
New Theatre, 542 King Street, Newtown
Season: 12 November – 12 December 2026 (previews: 10 & 11 November)
Information and Bookings: www.newtheatre.org.au
Image: ©George Marks/Unsplash; Bettman/Getty Images; Composition: Maddy Withington