REVIEW: The Signalman

By Gary Murray

“Hello, below there!“

A visitor chances upon a lonely signal box in the countryside. Inside is a troubled signalman.

“A solitary soul with a haunted look in his eyes.“

As the two men talk, it becomes clear that the signalman is being tormented by visions of impending disaster.

The Signalman was a short story written by Charles Dickens and published in 1866. For the author, this was not just a story. He had himself survived a horrific rail crash at Staplehurst in Kent on 9 June 1865, just a year previously. Ten passengers were killed.

Dickens never trusted train travel again. He died on 9 June 1870, exactly five years to the day after the crash.

Middle Ground Theatre Company bring their chilling adaptation to the Devonshire Park Theatre.

The set is a magnificent rendering of a railway cutting at the mouth of a tunnel with a cut-away signal box to one side. Much of the play takes place here, driven by two excellent central performances by Chris Walker as the signalman and John Burton as the traveller.

It’s not a two-hander; there are other roles, but the success of the piece hangs on these two and they don’t disappoint.

Walker in particular deftly handles the slow revelation of haunting visions. Burton offers the right amount of credence and scepticism in return.

Lighting design sets the atmosphere with darkness and flickering lights. The soundscape too creates a sense of isolated unease, from the sudden eruption of a passing train to the constant wind in this lonely place.

At only 40 minutes for each act, the Signalman grips us for just the right amount of time. If you want a chilling evening at the theatre, go and see it. 

:: The Signalman runs at the Devonshire Park Theatre until Saturday, 13 September. Tickets can be booked here

:: The reviewer’s ticket was provided by Eastbourne Theatres