North Essex Theatre Guild

FULL LENGTH FESTIVAL 2014/2015

ADJUDICATION

 

Group	Writtle Cards
Venue	Writtle Village Hall
Date of Adjudication	Friday 31st October 2014
Production	THE GHOST TRAIN by Arnold Ridley
Director	Michele Moody
Adjudicated by	Ian Amos
Assisted by	Jenny Burke

INTRODUCTION

It was good to see a full audience on the Friday night. The walls of the hall had been decorated with steam engines and station logos to add to the period railway feel. The programme was simple but informative. It might have been good if it had mentioned that the play was set in the 1920s which would have helped with some of the play’s references.

 

Both Jenny and myself have directed THE GHOST TRAIN in the past so we know what a tricky little number it can be; a stage crowded with actors who sit around a lot and never seem to be quite in right place when next required to speak, light and sound effects to time just right and a melodramatic denouement that stretches credibility – but it is also a very rewarding play for cast, crew and audiences and one that has rightly stood the test of time and kept Arnold Ridley’s name to the fore for a reason other than playing Private Godfrey.

 

 

SET

The Writtle Hall has a smallish stage and the rectangular set used almost all of it (inevitable really with 9 actors to cram on, one who is sleeping on a table) leaving just a slither of stage out the central back door as the ‘station platform’. The ticket office window was perhaps a little small – and if larger could have made a more dramatic BANG when required to do so - but Teddie’s head did look comical squeezed through. The walls were simply painted, dingy and mucky in browns: It was convincing as a dirty, cold waiting room. The old distressed poster on the wall was a nice touch. I imagine there was a stove and a gas mantle stage left but I could not see these from my seat. The two windows were covered in plastic/greaseproof and looked rather false: As the windows were so small it might have been good to use Perspex instead. There was a bench and chairs and a table; sufficient for the drama and as much as the acting space could take.

 

 

 

 

 

COSTUME

The ladies costumes were mostly rather successful. Mrs Bourne dressed exactly right with suitably over-the-top feather chapeau, Elsie in tweed jacket and jaunty hat (it perhaps didn’t say businessman’s wife, power and independence enough, but had a good period feel), Julia’s suitably wealthy black evening dress with an air of mystery that aids her deception, nice use of fur stoles and fox wraps which reek of the period. Peggy was in a dull floral dress that looked right, if a little light for the time of year. The men however, with some exceptions (Saul Hodgkin’s Station Master’s uniform, replete with metal buttons, fob chain and whistle, Teddie’s dandified check waistcoat, silk cravat and hanky) fared less well. It is hard to find period suits – but double-breasted is a good start. Charles really should have had a jacket that had the possibility of doing up: It did not look good on him and was certainly not credible as his wedding suit. If appropriate suits could not be found (often difficult) overcoats would have sufficed for this cold night. A small point – but I do feel that men would have automatically taken their hats off as they entered the room (this also would have usefully avoided brims shadowing faces). Lots of attention had gone into most of the costumes – it was a pity a few slipped through.

 

LIGHTING

The lighting was quite simple and moody. Warm, perhaps at times a little too low towards the back of the stage: I felt certain scenes could have been brighter to give us some contrast. The ‘train’ effect at the end of Act 2 was simple but effective with alternative flashing from behind the windows.

 

 

SOUND

‘The Rite of Spring’ provided some eerie incidental music.  The sound of the train speeding through the station was suitably exciting. I did seem to miss at least one whistle that was spoken of: It is good to set up the approach of the train from afar, dragging out the suspense. Good sound of shots from the pistol, however it was achieved. The wind and rain sounds were often well done and added to the gloomy mood of the place.

 

As noted elsewhere the Director obviously decided not to do the sound of the second appearance of the train diverting into the siding: It was a pity as it allows sound and lights a chance to show off again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAST

The cast worked well together. Each provided nice distinctive characteristics and each had a journey to go (whilst ironically going nowhere!). They started as individuals/couples but begin to work together slowly as a team. Also the production – if a little shaky on lines early on – did warm up nicely as the cast got into their stride.

 

 

SAUL HODGKIN/Jerry Thomas

What a Station Master filled with country character Jerry gave us. He felt wholly authentic as the grouchy local with a train-load of outsiders imposed upon him. His voice was rich and gravely as he tells stories full of colour to frighten the visitors. Only in the glances at us the audience did I feel he strayed over into ‘panto’ territory – this to me was unnecessary. But this was a delightful performance and really got the play off to a good start: Jerry made light work of what can seem a rather wordy preamble.

 

RICHARD WINTHROP/Boot Banes + ELSIE WINTHROP/Clare Williams

Cast rather older than scripted Boot and Clare still brought out the essential journey that the Winthrops go on in the play. From a couple close to separation to one reunited. Boot was a little uncertain on words the night we saw it – but when on track he had a forceful matter-of-fact delivery that suited the domineering, curmudgeonly character of Richard Winthrop. Clare could have started being more clearly the independent wife of a businessman, but she did show her increasing nervousness well: She began to need him more. She also interacted well with her fellow actors. A little more projection would have been good.

 

CHARLES MURDOCK/Chris Rogerson + PEGGY MURDOCK/Shelley Goodwin

As the newly weds Chris and Shelly were quite believable. Chris looked a little uneasy on stage at first but did settle in to things. He could do to watch his volume and projection a little as he has quite a gentle voice. Chris was always attentive to his new wife and to the action and his character seemed fully engaged in events. Shelley really had a sense of the new wife.  Her projection was good – even when awkwardly blocked to talk upstage to Charles. I liked the quiet concentration that she added to the group.

 

MISS BOURNE/Liz Curley

I wholly believed in Miss Bourne from the moment Liz opened her mouth. A nice touch to play her Cockney rather than the usual ‘posh’. She had eccentricity as she peeked at her parrot, feathered hat wobbling atop her head, complaining and eventually giving us a really natural feeling ‘drunk’ performance (even though the author requires the actress to become drunk ridiculously quickly) before she is comically lifted onto the table to sleep for most of the play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEDDIE DEAKIN/Nick Caton

Nick showed the range of his ability as he switched from Teddie Deakin to Detective Inspector Morrison of the Secret Service – throwing off the camp rather successfully. Nick was full of animation, perhaps a little too much at times as he occasionally continued to ‘over-react’ in character when not the centre of attention rather upstaging things going on elsewhere. The voice was a little too shrill and a touch more variety would have been easier on the ear. His Teddie was a perhaps too flamboyant for my liking: I think there is a halfway house that is more the 1920s dandy figure, but nevertheless this was a full-blooded performance that dominated the stage.

 

JULIA PRICE/Sharon Goodwin

Sharon successfully gave Julia the air of the pursued woman of mystery. She prowled and cowered and simpered and sought sympathy amongst the assembled travellers. She melted into the background as suspicion fell on Price and Sterling to rise again as Chicago Sal. All credit to Sharon – this is a moment that normally makes me cringe in its corniness: I really enjoyed it as she played it here. Nice clear voice – perhaps a little more head-up and out and looking through the 4^th wall rather than to the floor would have been beneficial, but lots to enjoy!

 

HERBERT PRICE/Toby Harris

Toby rather relished his role as the bad guy. He had a sinister poise in his evening dress and commanded the centre stage well. He started as believably forceful, attempting to corral the travellers into leaving and then turning to sinister as matters turn against him. A good partnership with Jodee.

 

JANET STERLING/Jodee Goodwin

A sex and profession change for Dr Sterling…and it worked rather well. Jodee oozed so much good bedside manner that you really did want to believe that she was a goodie. She worked well alongside Toby Harris and together they brought a fresh impetus to the latter part of the play. Jodee has a strong confident delivery.

 

JACKSON/Ben Wilton

A nice cameo from Ben delivered in best ‘Dixon of Dock Green’ manner. He only appears at the end, but far from just going through the motions, Ben really gave us a nicely worked out characterisation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRODUCTION

‘The Ghost Train’ is not an easy play to block, especially on a small stage. Mostly the it worked well within the constraints of space and large cast numbers, but there were moments that could have done with ironing out. The bench central at the front initially was awkward and when people were sat on it they masked characters stood behind. But once the furniture gathered around the stove things settled down. There was a slight tendency for characters to move from where they were sitting to talk centrally and then return to their seat (Teddie did this a number of times): It was unnatural and unnecessary. When ‘Sol’ wanders across the stage with his lamp the blocking needed to clear actors out of the way so we could see. When actors went out onto the platform some walked awkwardly sideways emphasising the tightness of the stage space behind, others didn’t: We the audience needed to believe there was a platform with trains steaming past out there. But mostly things flowed smoothly and there were some delightful groupings, notably the women gathered around the stove, which was very effective.

 

This play works when not only all the basic things are in place – but all the little details are there as well. The former was good with a workable basic set and a cast pulling together. But the production did lack that final attention to detail. Things such as the little thumps and bumps, knocks at the window that ratchet-up the attention: These were often inaudible or the cast did not react with sufficient shock to let us believe in them. The cast generally needed to be a little more worried about things. The cutting of the return of the train into the siding was an opportunity missed in my opinion as it does give the tech crew another chance to show off their effects and adds to the tension at that point.

 

It was good to see ‘The Ghost Train’ again after a gap of a number of years. It is a play that offers groups and their directors so many challenges and audiences lots of pleasure. Well done to Writtle Cards for giving us lots to enjoy.

 

Ian Amos/11 November 2014