If your idea of festive fun leans less towards tinsel and more towards tingles down the spine, then this Christmas has a dark little gift waiting for you. Mudlark Creative, teaming up with Drayton Arms Theatre, is bringing Charles Dickens’ ghostly classic The Signalman to life — and not in the cosy, fireside way you might expect.
Running from 10 December 2025 to 2 January 2026, this brand-new full-length adaptation plunges audiences deep into the eerie Clayton Signal Box, a forgotten railway cutting where isolation hangs thick in the air and something… other… watches from the shadows.
The story begins innocently enough: a weary office worker, newly untethered from the 9-to-5 grind, stumbles upon a lonely signalman whose life has been consumed by terrifying premonitions. But as their conversations turn darker, dread creeps in like a cold mist on the tracks. What unfolds is a slow, unnerving descent into guilt, fate, and things that refuse to stay buried. Expect goosebumps. Possibly several.
This production marks a first for Drayton Arms Theatre, with a surround-sound design that wraps the audience in the signalman’s world — every echo, every rumble on the line, every whispered warning felt right down the spine. Add in immersive multi-sensory staging and you’re not just watching Dickens… you’re stepping into the ghost story with him.
The Signalman is crafted to be experienced, not merely seen.
Cast
• Peter Rae as The Signalman
• Helen Bang as The Visitor
Creative Team
• Original Story by Charles Dickens
• Dramatised, Directed & Produced by Jennie-Mae James
• Associate Producer: Audrey Thayer
• Set Design: Karen Holley
• Sound Design & New Music: Steve Ramondt
• Lighting Design: Nell Golledge
Performance Details
Dates: 10 December 2025 – 2 January 2026
Venue: Drayton Arms Theatre, 153 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0LJ
Tickets: On sale now via thedraytonarmstheatre.co.uk
If you’re craving a break from Christmas sparkle in favour of something deliciously chilling, this could be the perfect winter escape. Step into the shadows — if you dare.
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