Castle Hill Players have chosen THE GHOST TRAIN, a comedy thriller written in 1923 by Arnold Ridley, who is better known as Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army, for their present production. Directed by Stephen Snars this worked more as a sometimes over the top comedy than thriller on opening night.
It’s a dark and stormy night at an almost deserted railway station as a variety of passengers are forced to spend a night in a cold and bare waiting room with stories of ghost trains to set the scene for strange doings.
Daniel Vavasour plays the most unhelpful stationmaster who meets the passengers as they are dumped from their train. There is the rather self-important Richard Winthrop, played by Ben Freeman, and his strong-willed wife Elise, played by Dianne Darlington. Along with them we have the newly married couple Charles Murdock, played by Brendon Stone, and his wife Peggy, played by Niamh MeKervey. Miss Bourne, played by Deb Lewis is an older spinster women travelling alone played by Deb Lewis. The final passenger is Teddie Deakin, who managers to constantly annoy all the other passengers, played by Paul Sztelma.
We hear stories of ghost trains due to appear at any time and the night gets worse as strange noises are heard and the passengers start to think they are seeing things. Suddenly entering the station we have a young woman Julia Price, played by Christine Wilson suffering from a mental illness because of her experiences with the ghost train, and chasing her comes her doctor John Sterling, played by Brett Watkins. The final character is Jackson, played by Blake Michael Parish but to say his part would give the twist away.
Lighting design and operation by Sean Churchward and sound design and operation by George Cartledge are excellent is providing the atmosphere around a bleak and isolated station and sets us up for the ghostly happenings. The set design by Maureen Cartledge enhances the miserable nature of the passengers’ predicament.
Perhaps more variety in the intensity and the frantic nature of the pace and volume of the acting would lead to more tension but if you are looking for a night of light entertainment with the mystery finally resolved then, like the audience on opening night, you will enjoy this play.
Arnold Ridley’s GHOST TRAIN plays at Pavilion Theatre, Castle Hill Showground till 12 October 2024.
Production photography by Chris Lundie
