A RARE recent professional theatre outing for Noel Coward's classic comedy produced a full house and a definite sense of the spirit being willing, even if the supporting flesh grows a little weaker each year.

The first of Ian Dickens Productions' summer season shows, this was sold heavily on the comedy character abilities of TV's Keeping Up Appearances pair Judy Cornwall and David Griffin. Cornwall could have been born to play the hapless medium Madame Arcati, who can't go into a trance after eating pigeon pie and cucumber sandwiches.

Griffin finds the going a little tougher as supremely insincere thriller writer Charles Condomine, who invites Arcati for a seance as the plot for a novel but unleashes the ghost of his first wife Elvira (Holly Smith).

The comedic exchanges between Elvira, who only Charles can see and hear, and second wife Ruth (Sarah Mowat) are nicely played, but Griffin always retains that air of trustworthiness which would allow him to sell hamburgers to Ronald McDonald. Willowy stage newcomer Smith romps through the chance to portray Elvira the grey-faced ghost, while Mowat probably has the harder task of transforming from frump to free spirit during a play which Ian Dickens has wisely trimmed down from three hours. There is a slight twist in the tale for those who caught the re-run of the 1945 film version, but Darlington's beautiful old theatre and a spirited season ahead ensures the prospect of some enjoyable nights.

* Runs until Saturday. Box Office: (01325) 486555

Published: 17/06/2004