May 2026

Determined to keep theatre alive during World War 2 Noel Coward wrote Blithe Spirit in just six days after his London house was bombed. The play's 1941 debut in the West End served as a defiant morale booster during the London Blitz. It became a massive success, running for 1,997 performances - longer than the war itself - and is renowned for its sharp dialogue and supernatural comedy.
Socialite and novelist Charles Condomine invites eccentric medium and clairvoyant Madame Arcati to his house to conduct a séance hoping to gather material for his next book. The scheme backfires when, after the séance, he is haunted by the ghost of his wilful and temperamental first wife, Elvira. Elvira haunts Charles, aiming to disrupt his marriage to his second wife, Ruth, creating a chaotic, supernatural love triangle.