Arts > Theatre

The Ghost Train

23/03/15

‘Don’t look at the train!’ came the grave warning from the station master, for all who look at it die of fright! But unlike looking at the toilets in a network rail carriage, this fear came not from the pubic hairs strewn with gay abandon across the toilet seat, but instead from the ghostly nature of the steam locomotive that hurtles through Fal Vale station in the dead of night. The advice from the rusticated railwayman is spoken fearfully in a Cornish accent so thick pieces of pasty pastry covered the front three rows. Still, a fun performance that struck a stark contrast with the six passengers stranded overnight in the haunted station who brought with them lashings of ‘goshes’, oodles of ‘spunk’ and plenty of ‘the right stuff’ in the face of adversity. They had the innate ability to pronounce the word ‘off’ with an ‘r’, a real sign of quality breeding with your cousins.  Best of British, what.

The first act builds slowly, setting the scene for the action to follow, introducing the unwary interlopers to this rural superstition and telling the story of that fateful night, twenty years ago to the day (golly, how unlucky!). The interplay between the characters is excellent thanks to the wonderful script by Dad’s Army’s Arnold Ridley and real chemistry between the actors. This works well to keep the audience’s attention rapt so when the jumps arrive, and they do, you really don’t see them coming. Ghostly apparitions prowl the platform and lanterns held in dead men’s hands illuminate the night.  I assume they were deliberate and not a sickly stage hand who got lost carrying a prop.

The second act starts fast and barely touches the ground with the true terror of the ghost train just one of a number of twists, turns and reveals of that fateful night. Nothing as is as it seems! (Except of course for the casual misogyny, that’s pretty much spot on.) As Charles points out, ‘Something must be done or these women will go mad!’ and a firm if unexpected pair of hands take the reins. The setting is wonderfully charming with all the nostalgic style of period British railway travel on display. The direction invokes the golden age of Hollywood by underscoring the production with cinematic music. This works excellently to build fear within the audience by creating a suffocating wall of noise as the train passes the station but is less effective in more emotional scenes. A snatched moment between newlyweds Charles and Peggy becomes a syrupy pastiche of Brief Encounter, complete with quivering lower lips, when the strings start up. 

The narrative is driven by a couple of particularly strong performances in the roles of Teddy Deakin and Richard Winthrop, polar opposites who create a great energy in conflict. One concern is the aging up of characters from the original script causing a few jarring moments when a gentleman is called a ‘young fool’ by people his junior. Still, he flies across the stage with such charm that it is quickly forgotten.

Laughs and frights are aplenty in this great staging of a popular classic. Dare you spend the night at Fal Vale station? It could cost you your life! (Although concessions are available for students and the over 60’s, woooooo!)