The Ghost Train

The Ghost Train is a 3 act play written by Arnold Ridley (Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army). Having endured a 4 hour delay on a train journey from the Midlands he found himself stranded on a deserted station near Bristol which is where he conceived the idea of The Ghost Train.

The action takes place in 1925 in the waiting room of Fal Vale, a wayside station on the South Cornwall Joint Railway. A group of mismatched rail passengers find themselves stranded in a dark and isolated station having missed the last connection of the night. Tales of superstition prevail as the local station master, unable to persuade the passengers to leave, reveals that on this night, twenty years ago, a train crashed leaving a number of passengers dead. Legend has it that the station is still haunted by the train reliving its final moments as it roars through the station to its demise.

Upon entering the theatre the open set depicted a 1920s train station with a smoking fire and old radio playing. Throughout the play, the faint sound of rain played along with effects of thunder and lightning creating the perfect atmosphere of a stormy night.

Martin Picken as Saul Hodgkin, the station master, set the tone with his strong Cornish accent and storytelling enchanting the passengers in believing in the legend of The Ghost Train. James Ager as the irritating fool Teddie Deakin had great comedic with his witty anecdotes in the most awkward situations. Mark Prout and Lauren Desantos played the roles of newlyweds Charles and Peggy Murdock well, with their characters supporting each other when terrible things started occurring. Andy Mackenzie and Clare Rayner as Richard and Elsie Winthrop convincingly played the married couple intent on separating. They had a chemistry that represented how much they once loved each other yet could no longer stand each other. Hazel Wright was amusing as the old spinster Miss Bourne who really came to life following a nip of brandy before spending the rest of the play in a woozy drunk slumber on a makeshift bed. Sarah Jones as Julia Price was very convincing as a troubled young Cornish lady. Her facial expressions enabled the audience to empathise with her and fully believe that she was haunted by her memory of The Ghost Train. However, she was equally as convincing as the criminal decoy having fooled everyone in a shock twist to the story. Dean Bayliss as John Stirling was able to portray his character well, making the audience truly believe that he was a real doctor with Julia as his patient and had us all concerned for her. The plot twist at the end was well-staged and not anticipated by the audience.

The set and props were used in a way in keeping with the theme of the 1920s. There was a small mishap with the gun misfiring but this didn’t faze the cast at all and they were able to ad lib around this, making light of the situation.

The costumes fitted the period well however, at times the shoes were a little loud on the stage covering some lines being delivered.

Thomas Houghton directed the piece well and made good use of the stage area, scenery and props to create the feel of a 1920s isolated train station. The cast all seemed confident in the delivery of their lines and their direction within scenes.

Ryan Wright created a beautiful set of a waiting room along with a ticket office that had sliding hatch, a smoking fire and working radio. Simon Smart provided the sound and lighting effects to set the tone and atmosphere of the piece including portraying the passing ghost train.

Overall, it was an enjoyable performance. The front-of-house team were very welcoming and accommodating. I look forward to seeing what TADS deliver in the future, well done!

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.