May 17, 2013… A hilarious battle of wits plays out in one of Noël
Coward’s most celebrated comedies, Blithe Spirit. Directed by long-time Festival favourite
Brian Bedford, the gorgeously designed production started previews on Thursday, May 16, at the Avon Theatre.
 |
|
Clockwise from top:
Michelle Giroux, Ben Carlson, Seana McKenna, Sara Topham. Photography by Don
Dixon.
|
Mr. Bedford, whose recent double triumph as director and star of
The Importance of Being Earnest thrilled audiences first in Stratford and then on Broadway, returns for his 28th Festival season. Widely regarded as an authority on Coward’s work, he has not only directed and acted in
Blithe Spirit several times, he also knew the English playwright personally.
“I
absolutely worshipped him,” says Mr. Bedford. “I thought he was just a
magical guy. And of course he was incredibly good company; he spoke with
the same kind of wit
and original energy that is in his plays.”
Set in an exquisite 1940s Georgian style English house,
Blithe Spirit centres on Charles, an author who cheekily engages a
medium, Madame Arcati, to conduct a séance as research for his latest
novel. Things go decidedly not as planned when she inadvertently raises
the ghost of his late wife, Elvira, much
to the chagrin of his current wife, Ruth. As the only one who can see
or hear Elvira, Charles must figure out how to entertain his ethereal
house guest without stepping outside of matrimonial bounds. Trying to
keep everyone happy, as it turns out, is a hilarious
challenge.
“Coward’s
laser-sharp wit and brilliant dialogue make this a delicious play – one
that will serve as a source of joy and amusement within this Festival
season,” says Artistic
Director Antoni Cimolino. “I was delighted when my mentor and
friend, Brian Bedford agreed to direct this play and return to the
Festival. He is a true master of bringing Coward to life. With an
extraordinary cast, sumptuous costumes and outstanding
production design, this is sure to be a wildly entertaining, feel-good
evening out at the theatre.”
The cast features
Ben Carlson as Charles Condomine, Michelle Giroux as Elvira Condomine,
Seana McKenna as Madame Arcati, Sara Topham as Ruth Condomine, James Blendick as Dr. Bradman,
Susie Burnett as Edith and Wendy Thatcher as Mrs. Bradman.
“I’m
really looking forward to [this production] because of the company,”
says Mr. Bedford. “I think it will be the best cast of the play that
I’ve ever had.”
The artistic team features Set Designer
Simon Higlett, Costume Designer Katherine Lubienski, Lighting Designer
Paul Miller, Sound Designer Jim Neil and Stunt Coordinator John Stead.
Blithe Spirit Forum Highlights
The
Forum, the new festival within the Festival, is a series of activities
and events designed to make a visit to Stratford an immersive,
all-encompassing cultural experience.
Through debates, talks, concerts, comedy nights, hands-on workshops and
more, The Forum will offer theatregoers more ways to discover and
examine the themes running through this season’s productions.
Themes related to Blithe Spirit
will be explored through several Forum events, including a Talking
Theatre series, in which discussions are led by Artistic Director
Antoni Cimolino and Education Consultant Pat Quigley on a variety of topics such as
The Dynamics of Marriage, Woman as Stereotype, “Dying is fine, but death…” and
Premonitions and the Supernatural, as embodied in many of this season’s productions.
Support
for the inaugural season of The Forum is generously provided by Kelly
and Michael Meighen and the Province of Ontario, in partnership with the
University of Waterloo,
with media sponsorship provided by The Walrus. Support for the Speakers Series is generously provided in memory of Dr. W. Philip Hayman.
Blithe Spirit officially opens on June 1 and runs until October 20. For tickets, contact
the box office at 1.800.567.1600 or visit www.stratfordfestival.ca. ;
Blithe Spirit is sponsored by CIBC. Production support is generously provided by Nona
Macdonald Heaslip, Sally & Larry Rayner and John H. Whiteside.
Support for the 2013 season of the Avon Theatre is generously provided by the Birmingham Family.
Stratford
Direct, the new daily return private bus service between Toronto and
Stratford, began May 1. Departing once daily from May 1 to 25 and
October 1 to 20 and twice
daily from May 27 to September 29 (on performance days only), the round
trip costs only $20.
Support for Stratford Direct is generously provided by The Peter Cundill Foundation.
The Stratford Festival’s 2013 season runs until October 20, featuring
Romeo and Juliet, Fiddler on the Roof; The Three Musketeers,
The Merchant of Venice, Tommy, Blithe Spirit, Othello,
Measure for Measure, Mary Stuart, Waiting for Godot, Taking Shakespeare and
The Thrill, along with more than 150 events at The Forum.
Cast (in alphabetical order)
Dr. Bradman…………………………………. James Blendick
Edith………………………………………….. Susie Burnett
Charles Condomine.………………………….. Ben Carlson
Understudy…………………………………… Shane Carty
Elvira Condomine.……………………………. Michelle Giroux
Understudy………………………………….... Monique Lund
Madame Arcati……………………………….. Seana McKenna
Understudy…………………………………… Kaitlyn Riordan
Mrs. Bradman………………………………… Wendy Thatcher
Ruth Condomine……………………………... Sara Topham
Artistic Credits
Director………………………………………. Brian Bedford
Set Designer………………………………….. Simon Higlett
Costume Designer……………………………. Katherine Lubienski
Lighting Designer……………………………. Paul Miller
Sound Designer………………………………. Jim Neil
Stunt Coordinator…………………………….. John Stead
Producer……………………………………… David Auster
Casting Director……………………………… Beth Russell
Creative Planning Director…………………… Jason Miller
Assistant Set Designer………………………... Devon Bhim
Assistant Costume Designer………………….. Sara Brzozowski
Assistant Lighting Designer………………….. C.J. Astronomo
Stage Manager………………………………... Michael Hart
Assistant Stage Managers…………………….. Meghan Callan, Holly Korhonen
Apprentice Stage Manager…………………… Christopher Sibbald
Production Assistant………………………….. Katie Honek
Production Stage Manager……………………. Julie Miles
Technical Director……………………………. Elissa Horscroft
-30-
No comments:
Post a Comment