The Ghost Train

It was a pleasure to have returned to visit Parish Players for their Spring 2025 production. Thanks to Richard Warner for the warm welcome and the enjoyable chat upon my arrival.

The Ghost Train is a three-act play written by Arnold Ridley (known for his role as Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army). The action takes place in the waiting room of Fal Vale, a wayside station on the South Cornwall Railway. A group of mismatched 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 stationmaster, 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 hall, the audience was greeted with a view of the waiting room at Fal Vale station. The detail was quite excellent, and the set truly reminded me of an old-fashioned, very run-down waiting room I was sometimes forced (when it was raining) to sit in as a schoolboy. A door backstage centre opened onto the platform, and a second door stage right led into the ticket office, which was also used as the conductor’s room. There was a lovely working hatch for ticket sales, also stage right, and the set was complete with a fireplace that glowed when lit, waiting-room-style benches, and a table and chairs. There was plenty of space onstage for the actors to move around quite naturally. The staging worked very well, with no blocking—credit to the cast and direction.

As the auditorium lights dimmed, the audience was instantly immersed in the arrival of an old steam engine, various passengers disembarking, and the train departing. Smoke, strobe lighting, the sound of an old steam whistle, squeaking brakes, and the train pulling away instantly set the scene. Simply a wonderful way to open the action!

Toni Conyers should be incredibly proud, given all the time, effort, and lost sleep that must have gone into this production. Even though it is at heart a thriller, The Ghost Train is laced with humour that demands an extremely capable cast if it’s to be performed well. The selection here certainly didn’t disappoint. The single set was well thought-out and uncluttered, resulting in no scene changes to delay the action. All characters were realistic and believable. This was a hugely entertaining and thoroughly absorbing piece of theatre that quickly drew the audience in and fully warrants recognition.

Congratulations once again to everyone at Parish Players and all those directly involved with The Ghost Train. This was an excellent production, and I look forward to visiting again in 2025.

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