by Noel Coward

Directed by Tom Sainsbury

Audition dates:

• Monday 13th January, 7.30pm
• Wednesday 15th January, 7.30pm
• Recalls: Sunday 18th January, 6.30pm

Production dates:

• 29 April - 3rd May. 7.45pm
• Matinee, 3rd May, 3pm

About the Play:

A smash comedy hit in London and New York, this much-revived classic from the playwright of Private Lives concerns fussy, cantankerous novelist Charles Condomine, who has remarried but finds himself haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late first wife, Elvira. Clever, insistent and well aware of Charles' shortcomings, Elvira is called up by a visiting “happy medium,” the eccentric and flighty Madame Arcati. As everyone's personalities clash, Charles’ current wife, Ruth, is accidentally killed. She “passes over” and joins Elvira, allowing the two “blithe spirits” to haunt the hapless Charles into perpetuity.

Register Interest:

To register your interest and get an audition slot time, please email the director, Tom Sainsbury at ptcblithespirit@gmail.com. You will then be asked to fill in an audition form to confirm your details and role preferences. 

Cast Breakdown:

A fast –paced comedy, requiring a strong, highly energetic cast who understand comedy and are able to undertake speedy delivery of intricate language. 

Playing ages are not necessarily accurate, more a guide to the relationships between the characters

Charles Condomine (Male, 25-50). Charles is bright, sophisticated,and articulate but dominated by his wives, past and present. His interest in spiritualism as a subject for a novel leads Charles to ask Madame Arcati to dinner and a séance. He is skeptical but becomes a believer when the ghost of his first wife appears—and stays.

Ruth Condomine (Female, 25-50). Charles’s second wife. Ruth is witty, sophisticated, and a little predictable. She is convinced that Charles has lost his mind when Elvira appears. Ruth’s aim is to bring Charles back down to earth.

Elvira (Female, 25-50) The ghost of Charles’s first wife. Only Charles can see or hear her. In life, Elvira was spirited, outgoing, wild, and carefree. In death, she is no different; she socializes with Genghis Khan. She does love Charles, if a bit carelessly, and is jealous of Ruth.

Madame Arcati (Female, 40+) The local spiritualist and medium. Madame Arcati comes into the play talking to an eight-year-old contact on the other side. She truly is in contact with the other world and inadvertently is the “medium” through which Elvira is called back to this one. She has an alternative lifestyle and enjoys playing up to those differences. She is confident in herself and excitable about her beliefs.

Dr. George Bradman (Male, 25+) Dr. Bradman is a good friend of the Condomines who is invited to dinner and the séance. He is entirely skeptical of anything to do with the occult but tries his utmost to go along with the proceedings for the sake of Charles’ research.

Violet Bradman (Female, 25+) Violet Bradman is Dr. Bradman’s wife. She is quite excited about being in the presence of the medium, whom she finds fascinating.

Edith (Female, 25+) The Condomine’s new maid. She is nervous trying to do things right as fast as possible in order to make a good impression.

PLEASE NOTE

We are committed to improving diversity in our casting, and unless stated for artistic reasons, we aim to actively adopt an inclusive casting policy.

This is an amateur production. You do not need to be a member of Putney Theatre Company to audition, but actors and crew will need to become a member of Putney Theatre Company to take part in the show for £30 a year. A  £30 show fee will also need to be paid by all actors in the production. We encourage you to become a member of PTC anyway, even if not cast. 

Our company is run by volunteers and we expect all actors cast in a play to volunteer for Front of House duties at least once a year. Our shows could not go up without our Front of House volunteers.