‘If I died, how long would it be before you married again?” Ruth Condomine (Caitlin Mottram) asks her husband Charles (Hywel Morgan) in viperous and loaded tones. It’s a good question, for she is Charles’s second wife. Elvira, wife no 1, died some seven years ago, so Ruth assumes she is now safely consigned to distant memory.

But, alas, Ruth’s complacency is soon shattered. The Condomines have invited a neighbour to dinner, one Madame Arcati. “I have a feeling the evening is going to be awful,” prophesies the hostess. Too right. Hands a-fluttering with highly elaborate gesticulations (rather in the manner of some TV weather forecasters), and carrying a capacious handbag containing a crystal ball, Madame (Claire Vousden) turns out to be a medium.

Dinner over, she duly goes into a trance (pictured) and proceeds to bring the spirit of Elvira (Kelly Williams) back from the dead. Only quivering husband Charles can hear what Elvira says, leading to plenty of misunderstandings. But Elvira — suitably other-worldly white of the complexion, but nonetheless exhibiting the very human characteristics of a spoilt brat — hangs around her former husband like an unpleasant daemon in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.

Thus Blithe Spirit visits a familiar Noël Coward world, one populated by some thoroughly unpleasant characters interested only in themselves.

In this new Watermill production, director Orla O’Loughlin points this up with clipped dialogue, delivered at venomous speed, and with excellent ensemble playing — on opening night, the pace was sometimes a little too fast, so the capacity audience was still laughing heartily at one barb while the next was being delivered.

Some choice insults got lost as a result. Wisely, O’Loughlin does not attempt to update Coward to a 21st-century way of speaking, for Blithe Spirit is very much a period piece. However, a little more variation in volume level and tone of voice would be welcome, relentless high-octane sniping can be wearing.

There are excellent supporting performances from Antony Gabriel and Joanne Redman, playing Dr and Mrs Bradman, the other dinner guests — the Doctor is alarmingly complaisant and indiscreet, while his wife is really rather nice, and tries her best to jolly up the fraught evening. But the star is Emily Wachter, playing Edith the maid. Obviously inspired by the tradition of Watermill musicals, her every movement is choreographed to the period background dance music. Never before have I seen someone perform a foxtrot while simultaneously balancing a silver salver loaded with wine glasses. Brilliant.

Blithe Spirit continues at the Watermill, Bagnor, nr Newbury until 27 June. Tickets: