SUDS' 'Blithe Spirit' review: "a lovely little farce"
‘Blithe Spirit’ is a 3-act performance that acts as an absolute testament to what student theatre can be
I’ve seen more than my fair share bad theatre. Derivatives of a derivative bricolaged onto generic casts onto generic sets, no matter the budget, no matter the crew. Slot 8’s rendition of Blithe Spirits is the furthest thing from that platitude.
The 1941 comic play from the mind of Noël Coward, broadcasted directly to SUDS’ very own Cellar Theatre, ‘Blithe Spirit’ is a 3-act performance that acts as an absolute testament to what student theatre can be.
From the words of the play’s director Jeremy Jenkins, “Blithe Spirit is a lovely little farce written in post-wartime England about a wealthy novelist who decides he wants to write a mystery novel about a homicidal medium. And, in the spirit of research and gaining a bit of information — and of course having a laugh with his rich buddies — he invites over a very eccentric medium to conduct a seance so that they can all have a bit of a laugh. Little does he know that the medium is about to summon the ghost of his seven years dead ex-wife who will then spend the remainder of the play being a total homewrecker and causing wacky antics in this country household.”
Image credit: @sudsblithespirit on Instagram
Despite this intentionally veiled description, the depth and expert manner by which this plot unfolds is nothing short of a marvel.
Short of one faulty light, it’s hard to find flaw with this burlesque comedy and the rendition that the SUDS team has put to the stage. The play is bipartite — two hours and 40 minutes — divided by a 20-minute intermission. Despite the daunting silhouette that this marathon of a length may draw, the play didn’t fail to capture me or my friends for even a moment; it goes without saying that it’s very rare for a performance boasting a near 3-hour watch-time to feel like less than half that, something that is more than worth noting in the context of this review.
The demanding roles of the play were met and exceeded tenfold by the SUDS’ veteran cast — with names like James Wily, Adele Beaumont, Aqsa Suryana, and Danny Yazdani all but stealing the stage with their renditions and spins on these classic characters.
A special spotlight is also more than warranted for the one SUDS debutante Ella McGrath, who stole the stage as the Condomine house-maid Edith. Her improvised quips and erratic comedic breaks playing off of the plays implicit tension perfectly. There wasn’t a moment on stage where she didn’t manage to leave the crowd laughing.
The comedy of the play is centred around the square of Charles Condomine, his ghostly first wife Elvira, his second wife Ruth, and the eccentric medium Madame Arcarti, the quality of the play hinging off of the chemistry of these 4 actors. That is why — to nobody’s surprise — the electric chemistry between the cast acts as the driving highlight of the performance, elevating the piece from “just student theatre” to a masterful comedy that left the audience howling with laughter at every turn.
Light bickering, hellbent arguing, tension backed against comedic breaks, the dynamism and fluidity that the SUDS team imparted cannot be understated, the depth of the script and variety it poses being captured with force. The play was rife with off the cuff improvisation and effortless delivery that personally acted as my favourite aspect of the performance; something that speaks to the absolute expertise of the cast, crew, core, and the seamless commitment the team of 23 put into this performance.
According to the director, “[the] idea of trying to see how far we could push a budget and see how much we could get away with was sort of the foundational idea for deciding on this play”. This sentiment shined through on the opening night. Despite having a ‘measly’ student theatre budget, they managed to excel with gorgeous set designs, costume design, enthralling lighting and visual effects, all aspects that were achievements in their own right — purview of James Hewish, Rose Cooke, and Thomas Hennessey respectively.
Ultimately, slot 8’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ has clearly come from an absolute place of love for student theatre. From a veteran cast and crew who have the experience needed to stretch the medium to its limits, this is a show that I could recommend to absolutely anyone, theatre-going or not.
I would also like to give special thanks to the director, Jeremy Jenkins, for committing to the sit-down interview that has informed this review.
Whether you’re a regular member of the theatre-going public, or a novice in this sphere, slot 8’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ is a must-see in the SUDS catalogue and an ambitious testament to student theatre.
Blithe Spirit played at the Cellar Theatre until September 23rd.