Theatre Royal Bath Productions has released an image of Jennifer Saunders in Blithe Spirit, Noël Coward’s classic comedy directed by former National Theatre director Richard Eyre. The production runs until Saturday 6 July with opening night for press on Wednesday 19 June.

Jennifer Saunders makes her Theatre Royal Bath debut as the preposterous clairvoyant Madame Arcati. She is joined by Lisa Dillon, Emma Naomi, Geoffrey Streatfeild, Simon Coates, Lucy Robinson and Rose Wardlaw. Blithe Spirit brings together a distinguished and multi-award-winning creative team, directed by Richard Eyre with design by Anthony Ward and lighting byHoward Harrison. 

Written in 1941, Coward’s inventive comedy proved light relief at the height of World War II when it was first staged. The show had a record-breaking run in the West End and on Broadway and remains one of the playwright’s most popular works.

Novelist Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth are literally haunted by a past relationship when an eccentric medium inadvertently conjures up the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, at a séance. When she appears, visible only to Charles, and determined to sabotage his current marriage, life – and the afterlife – get complicated.

Blithe Spirit is the second production in Theatre Royal Bath’s Summer Season 2019 from Artistic Director Jonathan Church, following Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (now running until 6 July). The programme of eight plays will also include Vanessa Redgrave’s Vienna 1934 – Munich 1938 (11 July – 3 August), Uncle Vanya directed by and starring Rupert Everett (18 July – 3 August),The Argument starring Felicity Kendall (7 – 24 August), and visiting productions Trying It On (3 – 7 September) The Life I Lead (27 August - 31 August) and The Man in the White Suit (6–21 September) immediately prior to a West End transfer.

Tickets for all productions are on sale at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.

Blithe Spirit is presented by arrangement with Lee Dean.

Picture: Nobby Clark