As we crossed the threshold of Freshwater Memorial Hall on a sunny afternoon, the outside world seemed to fall silent. Suddenly we were no longer in 2026 but transported straight into the 1930s, complete with vintage train tickets, station boards, railway staff, fellow travellers and the music of the era.
This wasn’t time travel — simply the wonderfully crafted backdrop for Curtain Up’s staging of Derek Webb’s The Lady Vanishes.
The production reimagines Alfred Hitchcock’s 1938 film, itself adapted from Ethel Lina White’s novel The Wheel Spins, and the atmosphere set the tone perfectly.
The play follows Iris Carr, who befriends Miss Froy — portrayed with gentle charm by Elaine Smith — during a train journey home from Europe. But when Miss Froy suddenly disappears, Iris is met with blank stares and firm denials from her fellow passengers, all insisting the woman never existed. As the sense of danger mounts, Iris becomes determined to uncover the truth behind Miss Froy’s mysterious vanishing.
Rowanna Earle‑Payne brought a dogged determination to Iris, driving her relentless pursuit of the truth. Opposite her, Matthew Northard infused Max Hare with charisma and confidence, making the role distinctly his own and serving as the perfect sounding board for Iris. Alongside him, Lewis Pavey offered a calm, logical counterbalance as the Professor, grounding Iris with reason when she needed it most.
The train was populated with a colourful array of fellow passengers: the Flood‑Porter sisters (Jane Loizos and Valerie Rezin), the softly spoken Reverend (David Parkinson) and his overly chatty wife Mrs Barnes, travelling to visit their son Gabriel (not the Archangel); the “newly married” Todhunters (Brian Ramoo and Lian Beadell) were far more concerned with maintaining the façade of newlyweds than with Miss Froy’s disappearance, while the Doctor (Ernie Saill) clearly knew far more than he was willing to admit. Add in a stony‑faced Baroness (Ann Steward) and the obligatory man dressed as a nun — complete with shifty glances from Andrew Field — and you have all the classic ingredients of a 1930s mystery.
Despite being a thriller, the production was peppered with lighter moments: Mrs Barnes producing two framed pictures — one of the Archangel and one of her son — from her handbag; the Waiter (Dominic Wall) lighting up every time a wallet appeared (one wonders if Mrs Barnes ever did get that cup of tea); and Graham Andrews delivering a delightful Hitchcock‑style cameo as Frau Kummer, dressed in Miss Froy’s clothing.
The ensemble worked beautifully together, with the Flood‑Porters’ mannerisms giving more than a hint of the iconic Fawlty Towers spinsters. Meanwhile, the ever‑chatty, domineering Mrs Barnes was only too happy to fill any silence with stories, opinions and updates about her beloved Gabriel or her anxious husband.
The staging was thoughtfully conceived, with the apron cleverly doubling as the station platform, while the downstage areas became the carriage, dining car and corridor with set design (both on and off stage), done by Men-in-Sheds, which captured the layout and feel of the train and station with convincing detail. These scenes shifted fluidly thanks to precise, well‑judged lighting that maintained focus and ensured that actors in the darkened areas of the stage never became a distraction.
The scene transitions were further enhanced by a shifting landscape and evocative sound effects of a train; while the visual technology faltered ever so slightly toward the end, this setback did not detract from the piece overall.
Although there was illness affecting members of the cast, the company pressed on with real dedication, delivering a performance that never faltered in energy or spirit. In all, The Lady Vanishes was an engaging and atmospheric production, rich with suspense, humour and 1930s nostalgia. Strong performances and inventive staging kept the audience firmly in the mystery. Curtain Up offered a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of theatre that paid tribute to Hitchcock while bringing its own personality to the story.
