Noël Coward was poised, polished and professional in every aspect of his multi-faceted artistic life. Rarely were these qualities better illustrated than in the creation of Blithe Spirit, which was written in just five days in May 1941 and went on to 2,000 West End performances — a record beaten only by The Mousetrap.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions’ revival — itself West End bound — is a stylish piece of work under director Thea Sharrock. Seasoned stage stars shine in the principal roles, swilling their cocktails and settling their scores in a sumptuous country house setting (designer Hildegard Bechtler), seemingly untouched by the global conflict of the day.

Don’t mention the war! No-one does during this two-and-half- hours of escapist fun. But the plot means thoughts of death are rarely far away, which early critics thought in dubious taste.

The story’s central theme, of course, is the accidental raising of the ghost of the late Elvira Condomime — presented with cheeky high spirits by Ruthie Henshall — and the havoc this creates in the Kentish home of her now happily remarried former husband.

Thriller writer Charles Condomime (the excellent Robert Bathhurst) rashly decides to host a seance to supply background for a new book in which will be debunked the nonsense that is spiritualism.

But mediums are not all the fakes he thinks them. Take the one he selects, the astonishing cycling psychic Madame Arcati (the splendid Alison Steadman). While at first she appear to be nothing more than an old bat with a predilection for exotic dress, strong dry martinis and conversation laden with platitudes and leaden cliché, she soon proves to be the real thing in her ability to communicate with the Other Side.

But Elvira’s arrival is the first instance of her actually calling forth a denizen of that region.

Alas, she seems unable to reverse the process when the spectre — seen and heard only by Charles — starts to revenge herself on her successor Ruth (Hermione Norris, whose initial inaudibility on Monday’s Milton Keynes opening night was happily soon remedied).

Eventually, what had seemed hopelessly unresolvable elements of the plot are neatly brought together — incompetent maid Edith (Jodie Taibi) plays a part in this — to round off an evening of theatrical delight.

Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday. Tel: 0844 871 7652 (www.ambassadortickets.com/ miltonkeynes). Apollo Theatre, London, March 2-June 18: (0844 412 4658 (www.apollo-theatre.co.uk).