Director Judith Martindale blows new life into Philip Goulding’s stage adaptation of the 1952 Ealing comedy classic bringing the right amount of mayhem and merriment to the birthplace of the modern railway and it’s a theatrical treat well worth waiting for.
Whilst Clifton (Rob Williams) and Mr Blakeworth (Tom Nevitt) discuss the imminent closure of their railway line, Lady Chesterfield (Tracey Duffy) and Reverend Weech (George Lowe) bring together the local residents including his niece, Joan (Jenny Martindale), retired track layer Dan Taylor (David Parker), and Mrs Bottomley (Ruth Profitt) to run it themselves, with the financial support of philanthropist Mr Valentine (Michael Brennan), who has a fondness for drinking, as well as those much-needed passengers (Angela Vose; Alison Mawdsley; Edi Tinsley).
But the owner of the local bus company, Vernon Crump (Gerald Walker), has other ideas and is happy to implement some dirty sabotage tactics with Miss Coggett (Linda Saavedra) and even his own likeable but misguided son, Harry (Richard Parker) to dissuade Mr Ruddock (Tim Evans) from granting them a licence.
Will the train go off the rails or will love help get it to its final destination on time?
This is a play that comes with minimum and maximum cast options and Martindale has rightly opted towards the latter, drawing upon the considerable talent that Rainhill Garrick Society has to offer. I can’t single out an individual cast member, each excelled in their own right with superb voice, accent, and characterisation to deliver that perfect balance between comedy and drama.
No matter how good a cast, they need a space to perform in and Martindale has, with the support of Stage Manager Rosetta Parker and Lighting Design from Graham Swift excelled again, perfectly capturing the period through the set design, props, and costume, with the latter, prepared by cast members, deserving a mention in their own right for the bright array of colour and personalisation befitting of each character.
Scene changes are handled expertly by the cast as we move seamlessly between them – and tunnels – with props cleverly doubled up and some well selected musical accompaniment that hints of a bygone age but also reflects the energy and enthusiasm of the production, with an interchangeable signboard ensuring we all know which scene/stop we’re at, not that it was ever in any doubt.
The insight – or should that be outsight – to take the production beyond the stage was inspired making the audience very much part of this special journey, so much so I even felt like I was moving at one point when a character…ah, but I can’t give the game away, you really need to come and see for yourself.
It’s a feelgood production but it’s so much more: it’s laugh out loud funny with great comic timing yet it’s also moving and a celebration of the importance of community coming together to fight for what is right, a message that won’t be lost in Rainhill with council-threatened library closures likely to affect its own that contains the museum celebrating the birth of the railway right here almost two hundred years ago.
It is also pleasing to see so many talented performers helping out behind the scenes as well as front of house which hints at a continued bright future for this company whose history stretches back over eighty years, but they’re always on the look out for new members if you want to get in touch.
The Titfield Thunderbolt performs at Rainhill Village Hall from 12th-14th October at 7.30pm with tickets priced at £8 and available from Rainhill Village Hall, Rainhill Post Office or by calling 01744 606067. Alternatively, tickets can be booked online via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/rainhill-garrick-society
Reviewer: Mark Davoren
Reviewed: 8th October 2023
North West End UK Rating: