Blithe Spirit

For starters, I was blown away by the fantastic scripting and exchange of words that by the end of 120 minutes, I could only summarize Blithe Spirit as an impeccable rhetoric of sententiosity.

I know what you’re thinking. “What?!”

Well if you can’t handle that, you can still watch Wild Rice's latest production but probably without enjoying the double-paced exchange of words in perfect (minus the slip-ups) English. Even though I didn’t catch the 2001 premiere of this same play by Noel Coward, I didn’t expect anything less for the 2007 run. With a star-studded line-up of veteran actors, including Pam Oei, Neo Swee Lin, Lim Kay Siu, Gerald Chew, Celine Rosa Tan, Selena Tan, and Tan Kheng Hua (in order of appearance), I was not surprised that there was no lack of chemistry between any of them.

In fact, it wouldn’t surprise anyone how talented they are anyway.

Plot-wise, the pace was a good and gradual build-up with minimal twists and turns along the way, in which the audience may anticipate what comes next. However, the delivery of words in, again I say, near-perfect English, numerous insinuations and aphorisms peppering their roles was mind-blowing to say the least. Well, that’s provided you catch it, since the actors are not wired to the mike and thus you really have to sit quietly and pay keen attention to whatever that’s being said on stage carefully. Miss one word, one phrase, and one line, and expect yourself to be disadvantaged when a hidden joke slips by and leaves you wondering why your adjacent neighbours are either smiling quietly or laughing outrageously.

In one scene, in a heated debate over ex-wives, Mrs Koh picks out each one of her husbands’ ex-loves whom she deliberately chooses to forget or mispronounce, before Charles interjects.

Charles: “Darling if you wish to make an inventory of my sex life I think it’s only fair that I tell you that you’ve missed out several episodes”

Mrs Koh: “….It’s no use trying to impress me with your routine amorous exploits!”

In light of the play running till the end of the month, I ought not to elaborate on the plot and ending in respect of anyone intending to watch this play, but only recommend for one not to be late. This is one show that's unforgettable.