Blithe Spirit is Noel Coward's sparkling supernatural comedy about Charles Condomine, a novelist who invites the eccentric medium Madame Arcati to his home to conduct a seance, purely for research purposes, only to have the ritual accidentally summon the mischievous ghost of his glamorous first wife, Elvira, visible and audible only to him. Elvira's reappearance throws Charles's comfortable second marriage into chaos, as she delights in sabotaging his relationship with his current wife, Ruth, out of jealous possessiveness, all while poor Ruth grows increasingly convinced her husband has lost his mind talking to an invisible woman. As the rival wives, one living and one dead, vie for Charles's attention and loyalty, the situation spirals toward a wickedly funny and unexpected resolution involving both women's fates. Coward's brittle, sophisticated wit and effervescent dialogue keep the supernatural premise light and playful rather than eerie. Its blend of drawing-room comedy manners with ghostly farce has made it one of Coward's most enduringly popular and frequently revived plays.

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