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In Praise of Arcati.


Last night I watched Blithe Spirit at the Gielgud Theatre, with Angela Lansbury. I didn’t go with Dame Angela; she was in it.

The train into London was full of people going to the Arctic Monkeys gig at Finsbury Park. I was off to watch the star of Murder, She Wrote. The culture divide was massive.

I’d wanted to go to show from the moment I’d seen it advertised. I’m a big fan of the play and its leading actress. Neither disappointed. Both have aged well. Lansbury was hilarious, with an energy that belies her age; there aren’t many eighty-eight-year-olds who could cope with eight shows a week, let alone attack them with such panache.

Her CV is incredible. She’s won five Tonys and six Golden Globes and been nominated for eighteen Emmys and three Oscars. It puts my Most Promising Student award to shame. She made her Broadway debut in 1957 and is still going strong. I made my first professional theatre appearance in 2002 and am already contemplating a different career.

She also starred in my favourite kids’ film, Bedknobs & Broomsticks. Her rendition of The Age of Not Believing brings a tear to my eye to this day. She’s also one of the few people to be threatened by Bruce Forsyth with a knife. One of the only reported cases, anyway.

The cast were excellent all round. It must be exciting to work with an actress of Lansbury’s calibre, however experienced they may be in their own right. Imagine the stories she must have and the people that she’s worked with.

Blithe Spirit runs until the 7th of June. Go and see it if you can. You won’t regret it.
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