The Ghost Train

The Ghost Train, timetabled to open CTW’s new season, was a delightful mix of comedy and suspense. The technical elements were superb, not just the excellent set, including exits left and right, central double doors, a fireplace and working ticket “hatch”, but also the lighting, sound and smoke effects. The shape and size of the auditorium meant that every member of the audience could feel as though they were inside that waiting room, hearing the train approaching and witnessing the carriage lights passing the windows. All of these effects worked well and were timed to perfection integrating seamlessly with the on-stage action.  I wasn’t entirely convinced by the costumes, some of which seemed a little modern for the 1930s.  It may have been that newlywed Peggy Murdoch was stripped for honeymoon action beneath her coat but I somehow doubt it; a longer skirt would have been more in keeping.  At the same time some of the men’s jackets seemed a little short and the trousers less baggy than they would probably have been.

The cast itself was strong and worked well as a team, with laughs aplenty from Miss Bourne’s (Christine Davidson) one-liners and her lovely drunken scene. Tonio Ellis was excellent as Teddie Deakin, providing a comic dynamism that linked the whole cast and drove the pace. Jade Flack as Julia Price did sterling work as the disturbed young woman who believed in ghosts, raising the stakes nicely before the ghostly train made its appearance. Overall, this was an accomplished production that promised much from the beginning and didn’t disappoint. 

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