“Spirit Level” by Pam Valentine
Bonington Theatre

The latest play by The Bonington Players is a comedy by Pam Valentine.

Famous crime writer Jack Cameron and wife Susie are haunting their cottage - they couldn't get to heaven because Jack is an atheist. Their only pleasure is spooking the estate agent, until one day a young couple move in.

Christmas brings a snow storm, a baby, and a crisis. causing Jack to do something no card carrying atheist would ever admit to. But will it help?

This is one of the loveliest plays I've seen in a long while. It's one of those plays that, when you leave the theatre, you have one of those lovely warm fuzzy feelings in your tummy.

There's only one thing that I could think of that could better this production, and that would be to stage it closer to Christmas, due to the beautifully magical ending it has. I was half expecting it to be snowing when I came out.

Christian King and Anna Hodkin play the spirited Mr and Mrs Cameron, and it's this pair that really drive the comedy in the show. Both dressed head to toe in white, there was no mistaking that these two were not of the material world. Both giving divine performances.

The Camerons have a Guardian Angel, and this wonderful character was played by the wonderful Val Petty. Imagine the scattiness of Madam Acarti from "Blithe Spirit" but with a mobile phone, and that comes close to describing this character.

Alex Brimelow and Helen Holbrook play the couple, Simon and Felicity Willis, who rent the Cameron's cottage. Simon is a super fan of Cameron's books, so he is thrilled to get the opportunity to rent the cottage, especially as he is a budding writer himself.

There's always a mother in law somewhere involved and in this play Linda Burgin plays Marcia Bagshaw, mother to Felicity and mother in law from hell to Simon. There's an hilarious scene in the second act involving Marcia and the letting agent, Mark Webster of Webster, Webster & Webster, that is completely unmissable, and Linda is a brilliant comedy actor, whcih is highlighted in this play.

And last, but by no means least, is Eddie Januszczyk who plays Mark Webster. Webster is deeply affected by the spirit of the cottage and, seemingly, the only living person who gets to see the Cameron's playful activities, making him a bit of a nervous wreck, much to the amusement, as well as confusion of the other characters.

Directed by Bob Wildgust, assisted by Julia Walters, the pace was perfect and the comedy was timed with great precision.

The set, which may I say was wonderful, was designed by Tony Tomlinson. There is part of the set, which was outside the French windows, which looked so real, and then when the Christmas scenes came around, the curtains covering the windows were drawn back to reveal an unblemished winter covering. So simple but so effective, and it got me into a Christmassy mood, that along with the incidental music and the tree.

The Lighting Design was by Howard Whitehurst, and this also added sprinkles to the trifle, and I love trifle with sprinkles. The lighting effects were another reason for feeling festive.

Sound Design by David Goatham, not only set the scene with some well chosen background tunes, but with the communication system between the spirit world and the humans - and I'm trying not to give away any spoilers here, for anyone who doesn't know the play - those sound effects were particularly well timed.

I've never seen, nor heard of this play or its' author previously but what a wonderful gentle comedy this is, and when the cast is as brilliant as they are, the mixture is simply a delicious evening of comedy entertainment.

“Spirit Level” is at the Bonington Theatre, Arnold until Saturday 19 October