Jennifer’s happy medium

JENNIFER SAUNDERS is bringing her clairvoyant Madame Arcati — whom she describes as ‘a good old English mix of Barbara Woodhouse and Mystic Meg’ — into the West End.

Saunders appeared in Richard Eyre’s production of Blithe Spirit, which was a West Country hit over the summer.

Noel Coward’s play was first performed in 1941, to cheer up those on the Home Front, and it is now a theatrical evergreen.

Saunders had a ball playing Arcati at the Theatre Royal in Bath. ‘She’s a sort of classic for a woman of a certain age,’ she said, ‘so why not?’

The wacky medium — who tries to rid writer Charles Condomine of the ghost of his dead first wife, Elvira — is a great comic character, in part because she’s so sincere.

‘She absolutely believes in it,’ Saunders agreed. ‘She’s not a faker, and she believes she’s serving a good purpose for people.’

Saunders recalled discussing the play with Joanna Lumley, her AbFab co-star, who played Elvira in an earlier production. ‘She said: “Darling, she’s jolly hockey sticks.” And she is.’

She’s also a great English eccentric. ‘ Yes,’ Saunders responded. ‘They’re a dying breed. You don’t see them much in life; and you don’t see them much in actresses, like Beryl Reid and Irene Handl; the kind of woman who doesn’t dye her hair or lose weight.’

Saunders will enjoy donning Anthony Ward’s costumes again. ‘He designed shapes for her skirts and hand-knitted cardigans. Someone asked if I put on weight for the part. I looked at them and said: “No!” ’

Blithe Spirit will run at the Duke of York’s Theatre from March 5 for six weeks.

Before that, it visits the Theatre Royal, Brighton from January 22, heading to Malvern, back to Bath, then Cambridge, Richmond and the Theatre Royal, Norwich.

Saunders has filmed the eightpart Harlan Coben thriller The Stranger for Netflix, with Richard Armitage and Siobhan Finneran. And she may reunite with Dawn French for a BBC radio special at Christmas.