Canberra REP | Review by Danny Yazdani
Hyperpop and Class Politics Revive a Universal Story
7 May 2025
Canberra Repertory Society (Canberra REP), hidden between the buildings of the Australian National University, celebrates its ninety-third birthday this year. And with a season dominated by classics and renowned writers, one might consider just how relevant their repertoire of storytelling is in 2025.
However, their latest production, Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit, brings with it an ironic self-awareness that is extraordinarily refreshing amidst the endless chatter of an Australian federal election period. Audiences enter the theatre with incessant advertisements and election promises on their mind, only to be whisked away for two and a half hours of “an improbable farce in three acts”, as the playwright himself has stated.
But this doesn’t mean talk of politics and class go out the window. Coward reveals a highly strung, affluent couple, novelist Charles Condomine (Peter Holland) and his second wife, Ruth (Alex McPherson), indulging in the luxuries of their Kent country residence. Their home is akin to a manor, polished to a tee with golden accents, antiques, and an attention to detail that only money can buy (as well as the skilful vision of co-set designers Andrew Kay and Michael Sparks, of course).
With Charles needing to conduct research into séances and the world beyond for his latest novel, a dinner party with the couple’s friends, Dr Bradman (John Stead) and Mrs Bradman (Antonia Kitzel) warrants the invitation of none other than Madam Arcati (Elaine Noon). The eccentric medium, draped in all shades of purple and sparkly fabric, becomes the joke of the evening, with the very well-to-do couples egging the poor woman on. Pair this with the housemaid, Edith’s (Liv Boddington) belittling throughout the play, and you get a perfect snapshot of working class struggle and the cultural elite. As the night goes on, the grossly unexpected happens; Arcati’s séance, unbeknownst to her, conjures Charles’ first wife, Elvira (Winsome Ogilvie), in ghost form. And to make matters more complicated, she is only visible to her former beau.
These very British, very 1930s characters might seem unrelatable and outdated on the surface, but it is their internal psyches that director Lachlan Houen encourages his cast to tap into. While modern audiences may not be familiar with 1930s European holiday hot spots or what cuisine is in vogue, they can certainly tell when someone else is about to crack.
This is best seen in Charles and Ruth’s characterisations, which give an aura of modernity in the earliest scenes: laissez faire, though intellectually ‘above’ the rest of us. As chaos ensues, however – what more could we expect from a man with two wives, one dead, one living – the repressed jealousy and bitterness of the paranormal love triangle surface.
And to compliment this, Marlēné Claudine Radice’s sound design and composition uses Charli xcx’s ‘Brat’, Lady Gaga, and a jazz rendition of Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy in Love’ to emphasise the universality of Coward’s story. Traditionalists may object that these songs weren’t around during Coward’s time, but what matters is that the story is kept alive through generations of audiences and creatives alike. Thankfully, the cast and crew of Canberra REP’s Blithe Spirit excelled at achieving this.
The stand-out performance and production element of this show certainly go hand in hand. Ogilvie’s Elvira was smooth but cunning, moving through the space with a precise physicality that reflected her character’s emotion. When attempting to woo Charles (again), her steps were measured, purposeful, as if she was weaving an invisible thread between herself and those who dared meet her gaze. In more tragicomic moments, Ogilvie brought out Elvira’s childish flippancy, throwing herself onto couches and chairs, and sobbing like a Disney princess. Suzan Cooper’s costuming enhanced these moments, as Elvira’s satin dress, slippers, and silver, moonlike jewellery evoked the character’s grace and charm, while supporting her physicality with sparkling face and hand makeup.
Coward’s script should not be underestimated as a relic of the past. This modern cast and crew very visibly had fun with the material, delivering an enjoyable, energetic, well-balanced performance that sustained throughout. Whether it be for Coward’s poetic and witty dialogue, or for a night of laughter, don’t miss this rendition of Blithe Spirit. And listen out for Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’– it’s magically and mysteriously important, in more ways than one!
Blithe Spirit runs 1–17 May 2025 at Canberra REP. For booking, see canberrarep.org.au.
Danny Yazdani is is an emerging Iranian-Australian writer who originates from Western Sydney. He is an English and Sociology graduate from the University of Sydney. Danny enjoys writing across a range of forms and genres, and is fascinated by social issues with a BIPOC focus. He has been published by Honi Soit, the Writing and Society Research Centre, Salience, and Aniko Press. Additionally, Danny writes regularly for arts organisations Playwave and ArtsHub as an arts critic. Most recently, Danny has successfully completed the StoryCasters Program by Diversity Arts Australia, received a Varuna Residential Fellowship, and will be published in Multicultural NSW’s NewPoint Magazine in 2025..
