The Halfway House

A perceptive young woman who overhears her parents arguing about divorce. She channels her longing for family into a bold ruse—staging a near-drowning to reunite her parents—showing she’s brave, resourceful, and determined to hold her family together.

A renowned orchestral conductor whose doctor orders him to rest away from touring. His status and sensitivity make him a steady, thoughtful presence among the guests, seeking peace amid the wartime chaos.

A devoted husband whose instinct to protect his wife and daughter drives him to reunite his fractured family. His resilience grows as he confronts his priorities in a tense wartime landscape.

Richard’s wife and Joanna’s mother, whose strained relationship with her husband underscores the home-front pressures during wartime. She seeks stability and reconciliation for her daughter’s sake.

A merchant captain, rough around the edges but capable of kinder impulses. His presence shakes the room, and his own history with loss motivates him to stand for his son's peace.

Rhys’s daughter, a spectral figure who appears with signs of supernatural strangeness (she casts no shadow). Her role hints at the inn’s otherworldly atmosphere and the moral cost of choices.

The inn’s enigmatic proprietor who materializes seemingly out of nowhere and explains that the guests are there for a pause to consider their lives. He orchestrates the timeline and guides the emotional journeys.

Alice mourns her son lost to a U-boat attack and seeks resolution through a seance that exposes the pain of loss and the limits of memory. Her grief fuels a potent emotional arc.

A thief expelled from the service who is released and becomes part of the inn’s diverse set. His internal crisis evolves as he contemplates redemption and duty.

An Irish fiancé who accepts a diplomatic post in Berlin, threatening the couple’s future, but ultimately decides to join the British forces to fight Germany.

A British woman connected to Terence, facing the conflicts of loyalty, love, and national duty as the war reshapes personal choices.

A black marketeer who leaves London for fishing, embodying wartime criminal activity that’s cooled by the possibility of transformation as the group reassesses values.

The landlady who keeps an eye on the inn’s visitors and offers a grounded, pragmatically supportive presence among the more dramatic guests.

Davies’ doctor who counsels rest and peace of mind, acting as a quiet anchor for the characters’ decisions.

Davies’ valet who appears in the background; his presence hints at the conductor’s high-society life and the contrast with the inn’s intimate reckoning.

A minor figure at the inn, whose presence adds to the ensemble cast and the sense of crowded emotional spaces.