The Ghost Train

Arnold Ridley’s classic comedy thriller, The Ghost Train, has been a firm favourite ever since it was first produced in 1925. Ridley, probably best known as Private Godfrey in the TV series Dad’s Army, was actually a prolific playwright with some twenty works to his name. For a one-hundred-year-old play, Ghost Train stands up pretty well, thanks in part to a revision by Ridley’s son Nicolas and daughter-in-law Jocelyn. They have kept it true to the original but brought the language more up to date and, while the play was very much of its time, the language did not feel stilted or dated.

Six strangers find themselves stranded overnight in a remote Cornish railway station. Despite the ominous warnings and ghostly tales of the Station Master, they decide to stay until morning and face whatever comes.

The curtains opened to reveal an impressive set, featuring the station Waiting Room. Yvonne Clephan’s clever design was well furnished and featured many interesting details like the platform canopy outside the door and period Great Western Railway posters. It had been very well built by the set construction team. Costumes too (Brenda Austin) fitted the nineteen twenties’ period well and the lighting and sound effects (Charlie Holland, Jeremy Clephan and James Roberts) were excellent. The sounds of the train approaching then passing through the station, along with flashing lights and smoke were most realistic (unfortunately I am old enough to remember steam trains in service!) The props even extended to luggage in the theatre foyer – a thoughtful touch.

Director Lesley Preedy has picked a good cast, all looking just right for their roles. Roy Phillips set the scene nicely as doom-laden Station Master Saul Hodgkin, with a lovely Cornish accent. Rob Stead and Gail Norris made a convincing married couple, Richard and Elsie Winthrop, constantly bickering with Elsie railing against the attitude of the time that a wife should be subservient to her husband, while Richard tried to smooth things over. Newly-weds, Charles and Peggy Murdock, were nicely portrayed by Liam Gray and Molly Dyer, she twittering with nervousness at the situation while he tried to be strong and protective. Jane Foster was the perfect elderly spinster Miss Bourne, imbibing a little too much brandy and spending most of the rest of the play asleep. Her descent into drunkenness was nicely controlled. Villain of the piece, or so we thought at the time, and responsible for stopping the train, was Teddie Deakin, played well by Roger Minors, with the “silly ass” control turned to maximum, and an over the top costume. Into the mix was added Julia Price (a strong performance by Ria Gray) and John Sterling (Mike Clay) giving the appearance of an escaped lunatic and her doctor. We later learn that they were part of a criminal gang, and the ghost story was a coverup for an arms smuggling operation. Also, Deakin is actually a police detective who has uncovered the operation, aided by Martin Letts as Jackson.

When it got into its stride, the play achieved a good pace, which it needed to get through the wordy scene-setting in Act One. Unfortunately, first night nerves were evident, and the prompt was needed little too often, which slowed the pace somewhat. Knowing this group’s abilities, I’m sure this will be ironed out, and you will have a fine production on your hands.

Thank you so much for a delightful and absorbing evening’s entertainment.

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