Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 30th August 2025
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
4****
Charles Dickens wrote many ghost stories, of which tonight’s production at Malvern Theatres of The Signalman is undoubtedly not one of his better known ones.
The tale concerns a traveller coming across an isolated signal box, manned by the titular signalman. The chat between these two main characters turns from their shared (amateur and professional) interest in all things rail related to talk of spirits and a ghostly spectre who is haunting the signalman during his long, lonely nights at his post…
The curtain opens on a rather impressive set courtesy of Designer Michael Lunney; consisting of the cutting where the signal box nestles next to the mouth of a tunnel, both of which feature heavily in the ensuing action. The lighting designer (Bob Hodges) did a fantastic job, helped by some deliciously atmospheric smoke, in properly setting the spooky scene. Absolute classic Hammer Horror territory.
The cast is compact and bijou, with most of the action involving just the Signalman (Chris Walker) and Traveller (John Burton). Both gave powerhouse performances which really propelled the story forward. There was an authenticity produced on stage which did both actors and the production credit – so kudos should also go to Director Michael Lunney (yes, the same multi-talented Mr Lunney that Designed tonight’s spectacle).
The other cast members also did a sterling job of fleshing out the story in some pivotal scenes. They included Innkeeper (Bruce Chattan) and, towards the end of the play, Inspector (James Morley) and Tom (Adam Mort). Though their time on stage may have been small, their impact was large.
The darkness of the set – with the tunnel in particular, but also all the darkened recesses holding the promise of jumps aplenty – acted very much as cast members in their own right. And there are indeed plenty of jumpy moments along the way – causing some nervous laughter from the audience. Although a ghost story, there are some genuinely humorous lines to lighten the atmosphere – which is most welcome.
Last, but by no means least, was the sound-world created with dramatic effect. The way the sound of the wind segued into echoes of voices, screams and moans was spectacularly wrought. And another key feature was the music – which began the piece and was weaved throughout. The magnificent score by Lynette Webster reminded me of the haunting themes (also on piano) from Halloween and The Exorcist.
Francis Evelyn adapted the original book for the stage and since I now want to read Dickens’s original work I reckon he must have done a pretty good job. It’s often hard to review these sort of works when attempting not to give away the inevitable twist in the tale – but suffice to say the author duly obliged with a fabulous final flourish.
So, a thoroughly enjoyable work which although not Dickens best (we all know which one that is, and very much deserved too) is still worth discovering. This stage adaptation is a superb way to do just that and I heartily recommend this play if you fancy an early Halloween present to yourself.