The many incarnations of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit – in pictures
With Jennifer Saunders playing Madame Arcati in London, and a new film adaptation with Judi Dench on the way, we look back at productions starring Angela Lansbury, Joanna Lumley and many more
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Emma Naomi as Elvira and Geoffrey Streatfeild as Charles in Richard Eyre’s production, which was first staged at the Theatre Royal Bath and is now at the Duke of York’s theatre in the West End.
Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian
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Kay Hammond, Rex Harrison and Constance Cummings in the 1945 film directed by David Lean. It was adapted from Noël Coward’s play, first seen in the West End in 1941.
Photograph: Alamy
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Ruthie Henshall as Elvira and Alison Steadman as Madame Arcati in Thea Sharrock’s production at the Apollo theatre, London, in 2011.
Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian
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Serena Evans as Mrs Bradman, Charles Edwards as Charles Condomine, Angela Lansbury as Madame Arcati, Janie Dee as Ruth Condomine and Simon Jones as Dr Bradman in the production directed by Michael Blakemore at the Gielgud theatre, London, in 2014.
Photograph: Robbie Jack/Corbis/Getty Images
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Joanna Lumley in the role of Elvira at the Vaudeville theatre, London, in 1986.
Photograph: Mirrorpix/Alamy
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Fenella Fielding as Madame Arcati and Robin Kermode as Charles at the Salisbury Playhouse in 1999.
Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian
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The original cast included Fay Compton as Ruth, Cecil Parker as Charles and Kay Hammond as Elvira, at the Piccadilly theatre, 1941.
Photograph: Hulton/Getty Images
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Aden Gillett as Charles and Penelope Keith as Madame Arcati at the Savoy theatre, London, in 2004.
Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian
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Lauren Bacall as Elvira, Noël Coward as Charles and Claudette Colbert as Ruth during rehearsals of the CBS television production in 1956.
Photograph: Bettmann Archive
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Sally Reid as Elvira, Anita Vettesse as Ruth, Anne Lacey as Madame Arcati and Drew Cain as Charles in a 2013 Perth theatre production, relocated to rural Perthshire.
Photograph: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
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Suranne Jones as Ruth in the Royal Exchange theatre, Manchester, production in 2009.
Photograph: Jonathan Keenan
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Giles Taylor as Charles, Liz Crowther as Madame Arcati and Clare Swinburne as Elvira at Nottingham Playhouse in 2009.
Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian
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A new film version of Blithe Spirit, a sparkling re-imagination of Noël Coward’s classic comedy, starring Dan Stevens, Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher and Judi Dench, will be released later this year.
Photograph: StudioCanal
