(4 / 5)
Prior to attending Middle Ground Theatre Company’s The Signalman at Theatr Clwyd I picked up a copy of Classic Ghost Stories at my local library and, by complete coincidence, the first offering was The Signalman by Charles Dickens. I decided to resist temptation and attend the production with no expectations (better than great expectations, pardon the pun!) I did, however, skim through and wrack my brains as to how this production was going to take place over 1 hour and 40 minutes, the story taking up a mere 16 pages of this collection.
What better time of year to witness this piece than during the lead up to Halloween- the atmosphere set immediately upon entering the auditorium; dark curtain down and eerie piano music playing. As the curtain rises, the music’s volume increases and we are greeted with a lowly, dark piece of railway line through a tunnel (via use of effective projections) and a signal box shaded in smog, kitted out with everything we might find in a signal box in 1880- bells, levers, flags, a couple of chairs, book shelves, a kettle. The set is static throughout with the addition of several impressive light and sound effects to portray night and day, trains rumbling by, night owls hooting, the wind howling through the trees. It’s all very Victorian, very Dickens!
Dickens always had an interest in the concept of ghosts (made no clearer than in one of his most well-known and loved works, A Christmas Carol, published many years before The Signalman). However, Dickens was also a passenger in the Staplehurst train crash of 1865 which, although he survived, left him with significant psychiatric injury. Perhaps then, this eerie tale, was his way of attempting to banish his own demons and examine the suffering caused by this tragic event. In using the railway as his setting, Dickens provides a backdrop which we can all relate to- although, individuals being able to cross the railway line with only a ‘mind the line’ warning beforehand is a somewhat insane concept in the modern age!
In brief, our signalman, brilliantly portrayed by Chris Walker, is experiencing ‘hauntings’ which he cannot explain and has come to tell of these happenings to a holidaymaker out walking in the area. The holidaymaker is somewhat of an ambiguous character. Is he really an innocent gentleman on holiday? Is he a journalist? An inspector? John Burton plays this character with great energy and authority, and we are left wondering what his purpose is here. It seems his friendliness causes the signalman to relax and talk freely about the ghostly visions- from visiting apparitions, books falling from shelves of their own accord, doors opening without a breeze, voices calling out. As an audience, we are also privy to these occurrences, leaving us feeling uneasy throughout- do we believe what we are seeing? Why are these unearthly incidents happening? Perhaps we now feel as our signalman feels.
Without giving too much of the story away, it appears that the signalman is experiencing fears of an impending disaster on this part of isolated line- not helped by the recollection of past events. The question is, is what happens next down to fate or is it down to these peculiar premonitions?
This is a magnificent re-telling of a lesser-known Dickens fable which builds a fantastically formidable atmosphere throughout, by way of character, set, costume, lighting, sound, and special effects. Having since read the original, it is clear there have been a few embellishments but, overall, the production stays true to the text and is a great, atmospheric period piece, perfect for a dark, winter’s evening.
The Signalman continues its UK Tour on November 4th at the Darlington Hippodrome and continues into 2026, finishing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on March 28th. Head to the website for more information: