Blithe Spirit

Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward is a witty supernatural comedy that satirizes marriage and the clash of personalities. The play begins with novelist Charles Condomine inviting eccentric medium Madame Arcati to his home to conduct a séance, hoping to gather material for his next book. To his shock, the ritual conjures the ghost of his glamorous and mischievous first wife, Elvira, who only Charles can see. Elvira delights in disrupting his marriage to his sensible second wife, Ruth, sparking jealousy, chaos, and sharp exchanges of Coward’s trademark dialogue. As Charles struggles to manage two wives—one living, one spectral—Elvira schemes to reclaim him, but her interference accidentally causes Ruth’s death, leaving Charles haunted by both women. The situation spirals into comic mayhem as Madame Arcati tries to undo her mistake, and Charles ultimately flees, resigned to the fact that his wives’ spirits will continue to torment him. Blending sharp wit, farce, and the supernatural, the play remains one of Coward’s most enduring and entertaining works, celebrated for its clever dialogue and playful treatment of love and rivalry.