Got live if you want it – no, I’m not referring to the Rolling Stones’ album. I’m talking about live theater. And we’ve got a particularly diverting, witty, supernatural show coming up in Bath.

The Chocolate Church is producing Nöel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit” later this month and into early March. This show brings back some great memories for me. I too have performed in this show. At the Chocolate Church, in 1999. And with some great actors – Suzanne Rankin, Nancy Durgin, and Jim Colby (lead and director). Suzanne played the out there clairvoyant/medium Madame Arcati; Nancy was Elvira, the deceased-first-wife-turned-ghost, I played Ruth, the current wife of Charles Condomine, played by Jim. Author Charles wants to write a book about ghosts and the occult, in general (much like Coward with this play the result) and invites a medium to his home to hold a séance. She does – and makes contact with Elvira and then forgets to make sure Elvira has remained in the otherworldly realm that’s been her home for several years. The show is highly enjoyable and entertaining for the actors and their audiences.

The dialogue is witty and quick. The play is fun and funny. This upcoming production stars ... cue the search lights … Peter Havas as Charles, Laura Graham as Ruth, Christina Boyington is Elvira, Tamara Lily is Madam Bizzaro, I mean Arcati, Madam Arcati; Shirley Bernier is Edith the housekeeper; and friends Mrs. and Dr. Bradman are played by Deborah Patterson and Michael Millett. Morton Achter directs and Thom Watson is the producer of the play. Set construction by Gordon McKenney and Joe Arsenault; costuming by Hattie Frederick. Show dates are coming right up beginning Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, Feb. 29; and March 1 and 6-8 in the annex adjacent to the Chocolate Church Arts Center.

Here are a few bits of my favorite lines in “Blithe Spirit” … you may want to take a few minutes to shake up a martini or spear a few cherries for a Manhattan first. Here goes: After the seance with Madame Arcati and the return of his first wife Elvira in spirit form – who can only be seen by Charles, who says “Ruth, Elvira is here. She’s standing right next to you.” Ruth replies (dripping with sarcasm), “Oh yes, I can see her distinctly – under the piano with a zebra!”

Breakfast, the morning after the spirited seance, is, well, bad for the digestion as Ruth is thoroughly ticked off at Charles because of his rude and unkind remarks and dismissive attitude about the previous night’s events. She says “In  your younger days this display of roguish flippancy might have been alluring; in a middle-aged novelist, it’s nauseating.”

And, finally, in a conversation between Charles and first wife Elvira about her being dead, Elvira says, “Not dead, Charles. Passed over. It’s considered very vulgar where I come from to say ‘dead.’”

“Blithe Spirit” was written and performed during World War II and had a run of almost 2,000 performances! If you’ve seen this Nöel Coward play, you know why it’s one of his most enduring works, the other being “Private Lives” (written in 1931).

If you haven’t seen “Blithe Spirit” or any of his plays, you must rectify this immediately! I suggest you begin with the upcoming production at the Chocolate Church Arts Center this month.