James Swanton: Back on track with The Signal-Man at York Medical Society
A RED light. A black tunnel. A waving figure. A warning beyond understanding. And the fear that someone – that something – is drawing closer in The Signal-Man, Charles Dickens’ most frightening ghost story, here paired with the supernatural terrors of The Trial For Murder in York storyteller and actor James Swanton’s delightfully macabre double bill.
James promoted his return to York Medical Society when performing Gothic poetry at two sold-out launch events for Isla Coole’s new horror-themed book store, Horrifically Good Books, in Goodramgate, last Monday and Tuesday.
Here he answers a handful of CharlesHutchPress questions on The Signal-Man’s return.
What makes York Medical Society such an ideal setting?
“I enjoy a black-box theatre space, but it’s difficult to beat the immersive feel of antique wood panelling, latticed windows and an open fireplace. The room in which I’m performing puts me in mind of the tavern in Barnaby Rudge. Perfect for relating ghostly tales!”
Without giving away the ending, what happens in The Signal-Man and why does it suit live performance?
“In short form, a wandering gentleman befriends a lonely signal-man on an isolated stretch of railway. He there hears about the signal-man’s uncanny supernatural experiences. I feel this is one story that works far better when spoken out loud than read in private.
“Simon Callow agreed with me after he recorded it as an audio drama. Even so, I’d recommend that people familiarise themselves with the text in advance. The final revelation takes some digesting, not unlike the ending of Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now. But once the core idea sinks in, it’s forever burned into the memory.”
What happens in The Trial For Murder and why does it suit live performance?
A city gentleman does jury service at the Old Bailey and begins to catch sight of an unsettling figure whose face is “the colour of impure wax”. People don’t generally know this story – it also goes by the unhelpful title ‘To Be Taken With A Grain Of Salt’ – so there’s a vital element of surprise. After all, a courtroom is itself a type of theatre, and this narrative’s structure is deliberate verging on procedural, which contrasts well with the shocks.”
What keeps drawing you back to Dickens?
“His invented people are irresistible; Dickens is essentially the character actor’s Shakespeare. That said, his narration interests me more and more with the passage of time. And there’s rather a lot of that in these two pieces! The eye-catching grotesques melt away and the storyteller takes centre stage.”
Performances are at 7pm, tonight, tomorrow, Thursday and Sunday; 5.30pm & 7.30pm, Saturday. Box office for returns only: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Coming next from James Swanton
JAMES will return to York Medical Society to present Charles Dickens’ Ghost Stories from November 23 to 29.
Choose from two of Dickens’ seasonal classics: A Christmas Carol, the famous saga of Ebenezer Scrooge, and The Haunted Man, a neglected Gothic gem.
Their words unlock a world teeming with chain-rattling spectres, dark and shadowy doubles and Ghosts of Christmases Past and Present and Yet To Come. “These tales chill the marrow and tickle the funny bone, but always they enchant, as only the works of a master storyteller can,” says James.
Performances: November 23 and 26, The Haunted Man, 7pm.
November 24 and 27, A Christmas Carol, 7pm.
November 28, A Christmas Carol, 2pm & 6pm.
November 29, A Christmas Carol, 2pm.
November 29, The Haunted Man, 6pm.
Box office: 01904 623568 or https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/charles-dickens-ghost-stories/.