About the Book
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 imagines is that the séance will bring back his first wife, Elvira, who wants Charles all to herself.
The situation is 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 as planned, however, and instead of Charles dying in her contrived "accident,"' his new wife does!
Many consider Blithe Spirit to be one of Coward's best and most unusual farces.
About the Author :
Noël Coward was a British playwright, actor, composer, and director whose name has become synonymous with urbanity, sophistication, incomparable wit, and certain sentimentality. His many triumphs include Fallen Angels, Hay Fever, Private Lies, Present Laughter, and many more.
Sheridan Morley (1941-2007) was an English broadcaster, drama critic, and biographer, among other things. In between his true career as a critic and broadcaster, he acted in theater performances, wrote screenplays, directed shows, and wrote a number of biographies. His best-known work is A Talent to Amuse, a biography of Noël Coward.
Joanna Lumley has appeared in various stage productions including Blithe Spirit, Hedda Gabler, and Vanilla. Her most notable television appearances are Absolutely Fabulous, A Rather English Marriage, Cold Comfort Farm, and The New Avengers. Her film credits include James and the Giant Peach, Sweeney Todd, and The Cat's Meow. She has also written four books.
Corin Redgrave's theater credits include No Man's Land, The Cherry Orchard, De Profundis, and The Browning Version for Derby Playhouse. Television credits include Trial and Retribution 6, Bertie and Elizabeth, Forsyte Saga, Shackleton, and Sunday. Films include Cromwell and Fairfax, Doctor Sleep, Gypsy Women, and Enigma.
Kika Markham has worked with Sheridan Morley in Noël Coward's Song at Twilight for which she was awarded an Oliver nomination for best supporting actress in 1999. She has also been seen in Homebody/Kabul by Tony Kushner.
Thelma Ruby has starred in many West End shows including Cabaret, Kvetch, and For Amusement Only. She has played Golde, opposite the Tevye of Topol in Fiddler on the Roof four times and played Golda Meir with her husband Peter Frye for eight years in Momma Golda. She has performed a one-woman show titled That's Entertainment and has written her double autobiography, Double or Nothing, with her husband.
Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales on 27 October 1914. In 1934 his first book of poetry, Eighteen Poems appeared, followed by Twenty-five Poems in 1936, Deaths and Entrances in 1946 and in 1952 his final volume, Collected Poems. He also published many short stories, wrote filmscripts, broadcast stories and talks, did a series of lecture tours in the United States and wrote Under Milkwood, the radio play.During his fourth lecture tour of the United States in 1953, a few days after his 39th birthday, he collapsed in his New York hotel and died on November 9th at St. Vincent's Hospital. His body was sent back to Laugharne, Wales, where his grave is marked by a simple wooden cross.In June 1994, his wife, Caitlin Thomas, died in Italy, where she had spent most of the years of her life after the death of Dylan Thomas. Her body is buried next to his.
Review :
"This release from Naxos tells Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit: An Improbable Farce with the aid of Colin Redgrave as Charles Condomine, Kika Markham as Ruth Condomine, and Thelma Ruby as the medium Elvira. The collection includes some brief classical music accompaniment, but is dominated by the voice performances of the actors, who convincingly portray the story of a writer and his wife who are visited by the man's first wife during a séance."
-- "AllMusic"
