{"product_id":"blithe-spirit-9781350353497","title":"Blithe Spirit","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Some of [Coward's] most sparkling dialogue ever... This play is about something substantial - the way past relationships come back to haunt us - but it's the gossamer-like nature of the piece, its sheer levity of spirit, that makes it such an enduring achievement\" - \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen socialite and novelist Charles Condomine attends a séance hosted by eccentric medium Madame Arcati, he's only hoping to gather material for his next book: he never expected to be haunted by his temperamental ex-wife, Elvira. Can Charles keep this willful spirit at bay, or will his new marriage to his second wife, Ruth, come to an untimely demise? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith unforgettable characters, witty dialogue and farcical situations, \u003ci\u003eBlithe Spirit\u003c\/i\u003e ran for decades on the West End, becoming one of the most well-known plays in the British canon. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis new edition is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Coward's death and features a new introduction by Arianne Johnson Quinn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNoël Coward\u003c\/b\u003e was born in 1899 in Teddington, Middlesex. He made his name as a playwright with \u003ci\u003eThe Vortex\u003c\/i\u003e (1924), in which he also appeared. His numerous other successful plays included \u003ci\u003eFallen Angels\u003c\/i\u003e (1925), \u003ci\u003eHay Fever\u003c\/i\u003e (1925), \u003ci\u003ePrivate Lives\u003c\/i\u003e (1933), \u003ci\u003eDesign for Living\u003c\/i\u003e (1933) and \u003ci\u003eBlithe Spirit\u003c\/i\u003e (1941). During the war he wrote screenplays such as \u003ci\u003eBrief Encounter\u003c\/i\u003e (1944) and \u003ci\u003eIn Which We Serve\u003c\/i\u003e (1942). In the fifties he began a new career as a cabaret entertainer. He published volumes of verse and a novel (\u003ci\u003ePomp and Circumstance\u003c\/i\u003e, 1960), two volumes of autobiography and four volumes of short stories: \u003ci\u003eTo Step Aside\u003c\/i\u003e (1939), \u003ci\u003eStar Quality\u003c\/i\u003e (1951), \u003ci\u003ePretty Polly Barlow\u003c\/i\u003e (1964) and \u003ci\u003eBon Voyage\u003c\/i\u003e (1967). He was knighted in 1970 and died three years later in Jamaica.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Methuen Drama","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50555092828434,"sku":"9781350353497","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_9ff496be-686a-4053-a183-6bb8387c91ff.jpg?v=1731726686","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/blithe-spirit-9781350353497","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}