The Studio Theatre Club is looking forward to bringing the classic comedy-thriller ‘The Ghost Train’ written by Arnold Ridley, to The Unicorn Theatre in Abingdon. Performances run from 21 to 24 June inclusive, starting at 7.30pm.
The Production Crew have been working hard to transform the stage at The Unicorn into a cold, damp waiting room, where six passengers who have missed their connecting train are stranded in a rural, Cornish station. Despite being warned by the stationmaster of a deadly ghost train that haunts the station, they decide to spend the night. Originally written and performed in 1923, the play features mystery, suspense, laughs and hopefully a few really scary moments.
Best known for his role as Private Godfrey in the TV sitcom Dad’s Army, Ridley wrote the play after spending some time waiting at the now disused Mangotsfield Station, just outside Bristol. The echoes from a nearby line made it sound like unseen trains were rushing through the station.
To gain an insight into what a period railway setting would have been like, some of the cast and crew spent a morning visiting the fantastic Didcot Railway Centre. There they were able to explore carriages, platforms, signal boxes and saw three engines in steam. Everyone at The Studio Theatre Club is extremely grateful to all the staff at the Centre for letting them look around and take lots of photographs.
To enjoy an evening filled with atmospheric drama, tickets are just £12 if they are purchased from The Bookstore, Bury Street, Abingdon or they can be bought online at studiotheatreclub.com where there is an additional booking fee.
As The Unicorn Theatre is part of Abingdon’s Medieval Abbey Building, access to wheelchair uses or anyone with mobility issue is not possible due to the number of steps and awkward level changes throughout the building.
If you are interested in becoming a member of The Studio Theatre Club, rehearsals are held on Monday and Thursday evenings at the Bullingdon Centre in Oxford. Following ‘The Ghost Train’ they will begin casting and rehearsing ‘Twelfth Night’ which will be staged from the 15 to 18 November. This friendly amateur theatre club perform three shows a year in Abingdon, alongside holding a range of social activities. For further information please visit studiotheatreclub.com.
For more information about the Didcot Railway Centre, please visit didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk
