More than 50 volunteers and professional actors donned 1940s costumes to star in an innovative short film that will be broadcast on an antique subway train inside the new Riverside Museum.

The 28-minute period drama is set on the 1930s subway car, a well-known feature of the old Museum of Transport at Kelvin Hall, and part of Glasgow Museums’ collection. Visitors to Riverside will be able to board the subway and watch the performance, which will be back-projected onto the end of the train.

During the drama, the 17 actors and 36 extras board and alight at various “stations” on the route. One of these stations included Merkland Street Station, which was bombed in 1940 and reopened the following year. The drama is set a few weeks after the station re-opened with travellers still anxious about the risks of attack. Despite the fears, Glasgow’s subway was regarded as a safe way to travel during the Second World War, and by 1945 more than 34million people were travelling on it.

Joseph Briffa, Head of Film and Video at 55degrees, the multi-media production company that made the film, said the production was one of the most ambitious and challenging shoots they'd ever worked on. He said: "We had some 60 actors entering and leaving the subway carriage at very specific timings based on a real-time circuit of the subway in 1941, all in single 30-minute long takes. If there was the slightest mistake we had to re-set and return to the beginning. The technical challenge of this was extreme to say the least, and the level of concentration by everyone on set to make this happen was incredible."

Gavin McLellan, Director of the Riverside Museum Appeal, said: “This filming is another example of the public support for the new Riverside Museum, with so many people giving up their whole weekend to feature in this film. There’s still time for members of the public to become part of the new museum. A donation to the Riverside Museum Appeal will ensure that your name or that of someone you love will be a permanent presence inside the museum, just like those who starred in this innovative wartime drama. And despite the difficult financial circumstances, we’ve raised about £4million and have £1million to go – a terrific achievement. To donate online, please visit www.riversideappeal.org or text the word ‘Riverside’ to 70700 to give £5.”