The Varsity Line

It's safe to say you won't see another play quite like "The Varsity Line" in Wilmington this year. Part drawing room comedy on a train, part heist thriller, part murder mystery, part spoof of all these, "The Varsity Line" is an ingeniously constructed, wonderfully performed 45-minute one-act that comes off with an assist from Wilmington's film industry. - John Staton, Wilmington StarNews

The Varsity Line is a one act comedic farce set on an English train in the 30’s. Think “Airplane!” on the Orient Express. Written by Mack Webb and directed by Bo Webb, The Varsity Line was performed at The Red Box Theater in Thalian Hall, Wilmington North Carolina, May 1-9 2026.

The Varsity Line was a railway route linking the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge. In 1938, an experimental new diesel train with three carriages was introduced. Each scene in this play takes place in a different car but they all happen at the same time, though they are presented consecutively.

The first production starred Chloe Moore, Reilly Callaghan, Jon Stafford, Tyler Patrick Smith, Jennifer Frankel, Sam Robison, Jake Brenden Taylor and Ed Wagenseller, with guest voice appearances from Eric Idle and Hank Azaria.