"I am so excited" says star of Blithe Spirit heading to Blackpool this Halloween

The screamingly funny supernatural farce Blithe Spirit is on at the Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday, October 28 to Saturday, November 1.

The cast includes a whole host of stars from stage and screen but leading them all is renowned actress Susan Woolridge, perhaps best known fo her BAFTA winning performance in Hope and Glory (1987).

Only on in Salisbury and Blackpool, Susan sat down for a chat with with us ahead of the jounrey up north to talk all about the play, ghosts and her love of Blackpool.

See what the 75 -year-old star had to say below.

Can you describe Blithe Spirit?

“Blithe Spirit is a wonderful play by Noël Coward, which I'm enchanted to say, has been making people not only come once, but on some occasions, they've come twice. They've returned here where we're doing it, down in Salisbury. I hope that may be the case in Blackpool. It's a lovely play, and it has wonderful roles in it, and we're discovering just how funny and delightful it is.”

And what does the play follow?

“Well, I will talk about it from my point of view. I play one of the great roles, which is Madame Arcati, who is a medium, and who is, as a friend of mine said, entirely plausible and completely potty. She's a wonderful woman of later years, and she offers to give a seance, and in so doing, she, in a sense, pushes all the wrong buttons, and all sorts of people appear who shouldn't appear, and the play goes on from there. It's great fun, and it's quite thought provoking as well. A lot of people have found that element to it. So this guy who has a happy marriage is suddenly reacquainted with his wife who died a few years earlier, and in a way, the fun goes from there.”

Do you relate to Madame Arcati?

“I relate entirely to her in that I'm completely implausible and completely potty as well, so she's a perfect fit for me. Noël Coward was wonderful because he wrote such fantastic parts for women, and very often women in their later years. They're the great, great roles that we're blessed to play, if we are asked, and he writes all his characters -hat's wonderful about him - they're all ages and all backgrounds, and it makes it such a treat for the audience to watch, because yes, indeed, it starts with ladies and gentlemen in black tie and evening dress but there's much more to it than that.”

Obviously, your character holds the seance, do you believe in ghosts?

“Oh, yes, certainly, of course, yes, I don't wish to see any at the moment. I've got quite enough to deal with on stage, but yes, I think there is another element to life. Yes, let's say that.”

Have you ever had any ghostly experiences?

“When I was younger, yes. When I was a school girl, something happened which was slightly peculiar, but nothing really has happened since then.”

As you’ve mentioned, you are currently doing it in Salisbury, how have you found it's been received?

“Oh, it's been magical. It really has. People have just taken it to their hearts. And as I say, It's so lovely, some people have asked to come again and have rebooked and that, you know, you cannot get a better notice than that, a better review than that, than a happy audience. And it's been a joyous discovery. We played the play very seriously, in a way. We don't send it up or anything and when I start the seance, the silence is incredible. I'm not going to say any more, because I hope your audience is going to come in their droves and see what happens next.”

How are you feeling about bringing it to Blackpool?

“Oh, I am so excited to be playing in your beautiful Matcham theatre. I can't wait. I remember I did a series, a comedy series, back in the early 80s, which was set in Blackpool. And the credit sequence was us all walking along Blackpool beach. And I remember going to the theatre and just thinking it was absolutely incredible. My fella, who's the stand up Andy de la Tour, with Rik Mayll, the two of them did a couple of gigs there back in the day, and he said, it's an incredible theater to play, and you're a big theatre too!”

Have you yourself performed in Blackpool?

“No, no, it's my first time. I'm breaking my duck. So that's really going to be lovely. I can't wait. I'm so looking forward to it. I've been to Blackpool. I like Blackpool very much indeed. I was lucky enough to work with Roy Battersby, who, as you know, was Les Dawson's other half, as it were, and I remember talking to him most fondly about Blackpool and Lytham and all around so I'm looking forward to it very much indeed.

Has your partner given you any hints as to what Blackpool audiences might be like for you?

“Oh, we will wait and see! He said it was wonderful when he was doing it, but I wouldn't equate my performance with Rik Mayll- mind you, I'm potty enough in it so there is that.”

You mentioned you have been to Blackpool for fun, what it is you like to get up to when you're in Blackpool?

“Oh, well, this time, I'm so thrilled the lights are going to be on and all of that. And so I love just walking, you know, by the sea and all, I just love the atmosphere of it. And it reminds me it's good to get away from London and the stiffness of London. And I have friends up there, so that's going to be lovely as well. No, I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.”

It is, of course, Halloween as well. Could we expect to see you on late night rides at the Pleasure Beach or visiting the Blackpool dungeons?

“Don’t tempt me, how thrilling! Absolutely, yes. I think, definitely, I will look into that. Yes because while I'm doing the show, I become a night bird, so I don't get up early and after the show is when I'm alive so yes, late night rides, here we come!”

Perhaps some cast nights out on the Blackpool promenade?

“It will be mentioned this very evening to my fellow players!”

How have the cast all been getting on?

“You know, it is a most talented company. We've discovered that to do it in the short time we had to do it has been a real ride. But as I hope you come and see in the show, really they’re most skilled, all of them. This requires a real discipline because the language is so precise, and it's so - I mean, in Arcati's case, she says six words where one would do, so you have to really be on top of the language. And it's just so marvelous to be surrounded by such a talented lot. It's been a real pleasure, both on stage and off stage.”

Have you worked with any of them before?

“No first time and I hope I will work with all of them again.”

For people who haven't yet got tickets, why should they come see Blithe spirit?

“Oh, because we're all so good and the play is marvelous. It's as simple as that! No… to be serious, I think it's a very rich experience, and it's so unlike what you would see on your television screen. It's set in the late 30s, 1930s, but it actually has modern day resonance, and I think that's what people have found exciting here. Well, from the reaction, that is the lovely discovery we've all had. So yes, I hope Blackpool will come and see us.”

And would you say it's scary?

“I have been told that when we do the seance and there is a reaction - I won't say what - that people do jump in the audience. So we will see. We will see. I can't say more than that!”

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Is there anything else that you think we should know about Blythe Spirit?

“No, I don't think there is.I very much hope that I see all of Blackpool in your lovely theatre. Madam Arcati, she's in her dressing room at the moment getting ready, and I know she's very much looking forward to it, she likes going north, so she's looking forward to seeing you all there.”

Blackpool does have a long history of fortune tellers…

“I'm afraid Madam Arcati disapproves of fortune tellers. Oh yes. And you'll have to come and see the play as to why that is!

“And just finally. What's interesting about it is that the audiences have spanned all ages. So even though, you know, a lot of people think ‘oh, this will be a lovely play for my mum to come and see’, yes, indeed, they're there, and there are lots of grey heads like me. But what's so fascinating is the youngsters who have come and discovered this wonderful playwright called Noël Coward.”

To book Blithe Spirit, you can buy tickets online here, by calling 01253 290190 or heading down to the Grand’s Box Office.

Take a look at all the shows coming to Blackpool this October here.