The Lady Vanishes

The Lady Vanishes by Derek Webb was adapted from the original book ‘The Wheel Spins’ by Ethel Lina White on which the well-known 1938 Hitchcock film was also based. The between-the-wars atmosphere is well maintained and perhaps feels a little creaky to today’s ears, but there was a lot of comedy to be had from the attitudes of the time and Director Scott Hawley has brought this out well in a fast-paced production which also celebrates the 30th anniversary of HIADS’ lovely (air conditioned!) Station Theatre.

The story is set on a trans-continental train heading for England, where a young English traveller befriends an older governess who subsequently disappears. It’s a fairly typical murder mystery (except – spoiler alert – no one is murdered) with the closed environment of a train and a group of highly suspicious travellers all, for their own reasons, denying they’d ever seen the lady.

The curtains went back to reveal a simple but effective set of two train compartments, one open, where most of the action takes place, and the other closed where a mysterious patient is being kept sedated. The set was on a truck which could be moved back to allow tables to be placed in front, representing the restaurant car – the only other location. Everything was kept simple allowing the scene changes to be carried out by cast and crew rapidly and smoothly, essential given the number of scenes in the play.

Kate Peters excelled as the young traveller, Iris Carr. She portrayed Iris’s mounting concern for the missing governess well, letting it build gradually and showing great reluctance to give up the search despite mounting opposition. Another excellent performance was given by Debbie Wigg as the vanishing lady, Miss Froy. Her confident portrayal of the older, no-nonsense but kindly governess really commanded the stage in the short time she was on it.

Sue Finn and Deborah Murray were delightful as the twittering elderly spinsters Evelyn and Rose, delighting in the latest gossip and amusingly finishing each other’s sentences. Tirion Thomas and Scott Hawley as the Todhunters convinced us that they weren’t really newlyweds, but on an illicit holiday together, while John Duncan and Mary Fletcher looked every bit the Rev. and Mrs Barnes. Mary amazed us with one incredibly long uninterrupted sentence – quite a feat! Also in the compartment were John Blackwell making a good eminent German physician taking a wounded patient for an emergency operation and Lesley Marshall who was every inch the upright, severe and uncommunicative Baroness.

Arriving late to the party were Ant Maitland and Fergus Milton as Max Hare and The Professor, the only two to take Iris’s story seriously. Ant made Max very sympathetic and obviously attracted to Iris, although never completely convinced by her story. Fergus’s Professor was obviously more sceptical though still keen to help. Jack Boulton made a great incompetent waiter trying desperately to please (later also playing the Boder Guard), while Cindy M Woodlandgo was nicely indignant as the fake Miss Froy and Mandy Collingwood was spot on as the nun nursing the ‘patient’.

Costumes (Linda Macdonald) throughout gave the right feel, but some were perhaps a little too modern for the period being portrayed. Sound effects (James Wood) and lighting (Holly Sandford) were excellent, and particularly realistic when portraying the sounds and movement of the train. Occasionally some of the actors needed to project a little better, especially when facing up-stage, but otherwise diction and volume were good.

The programme was well produced, with lots of information and photos about the cast, the society and past productions.

The Lady Vanishes was an excellent choice for the 30th Anniversary of the theatre, showcasing the type of play this group does so well. It had some great moments of humour and enough mystery and plot twists to keep us interested right to the end – though I must admit I guessed quite early on where the lady had vanished to, but not why!

Thank you for a great evening’s entertainment in your beautifully air-conditioned theatre.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.