“THE GHOST TRAIN”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 185, 26 October 1927, Page 14

“THE GHOST TRAIN”

HIS MAJESTY’S, SATURDAY "The Ghost Train,” to be presented at His Majesty’s on Saturday by the J. C. Williamson Company, in conjunction with Mr. E. J. Carroll, is a remarkable play. Speaking of its production, a Sydney critic says: “Those who like their entertainment seasoned with eeriness and mystery will revel in ‘The Ghost Train.’ From the moment the quaint old stationmaster in Broad Cornish dialect impressively relates to a party of travellers in the waiting-room of a lonely little station the story of a railway accident that occurred about 20 years ago, with the result that the place has been haunted ever since, until the final thrilling and entirely unsuspected solution of the mystery, the attention of the audience is strongly held. The highly indignant travellers have to put up for the night in this remote spot because one of the party—of the ‘silly ass’ type—having lost his hat, pulled the communication cord of the train, and all of them have been left stranded, there being no other train for Truro before morning. The stationmaster’s narrative has the effect of putting all their nerves on edge, and they imagine all kinds of things. To tell the story in detail would spoil the entertainment for those who do not know it, so we shall not attempt to do so.

The cast includes several newcomers. Mr. Hugh E. Wright, whose work as the producer of the play deserves the utmost praise, very cleverly impersonates Saul Hodgkin, the stationmaster at Fal Vale. Another excellent piece of acting is that of Mr. Basil Radford as Teddy Deakin, the “silly ass,” who infuriates his companions by his asinine remarks and actions in even the most “spooky” situations, but who at the end masterfully asserts himself. Miss Betty Ross Clarke as Julia Price, the girl who, living close to the haunted station, is, it appears periodically mentally affected, and is drawn to the spot this night because it is the anniversary of the disaster, acts in a convincing fashion, and her sudden change from timidity to bravado at the close is capitally done. Miss Laura Smithson contributes a clever character sketch of an old maid —Miss Bourne.

The box plans open to-morrow morn ing at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd.