The Railway Children (UK Touring)
I doubt that E.Nesbit when she was penning The Railway Children back in the early 1900's could have imagined how loved it would become as a story for so many, the movie in 1970 with such stalwarts of British acting as Bernard Cribbins and Jenny Agutter have since cemented it as a classic.
Bringing it to the stage with such real outdoor images was always going to be difficult but, the inventive pop-up theatre behind Kings Cross Station allowing a full sized locomotive to be part of the action has meant the story could live on.
Taking this on tour however is a completely different story, surely it isn't possible to deliver the same experience in theatres around the UK ? Unfortunately the locomotive in all its glory hasn't been taken on the road (no surprise there) and has been replaced by superimposed video on to a backcloth, not quite the same experience but, it's the story that matters in truth and that still has all the charm it ever had.
Relatively small cast led in an understated but, highly engaging way by Stewart Wright as Perks the rather quaint but, supremely proud stationmaster in the small Yorkshire village that the Waterbury family, Bobby, Phil and Peter along with their mother find themselves in after the mysterious disappearance of their father and falling on hard times.
Millie Turner, Katherine Carlton and Vinay Lad are full of youthful enthusiasm and exuberance (rarely have I heard the word 'mummy' used as often and with as much vigour) as the children, the adventures of which are all expertly intertwined by the director Paul Jepson into a delight of a production.
If I have any criticism it may be that the train carriage which occasionally move across the stage in front of some cast as passengers adds a little more to comedy than authenticity but, that's a very minor point and takes nothing away from a production that were she alive Edith Nesbit would be proud of I'm sure.
Have to admit to shedding a tear as Bobby is finally reunited with her wrongly accused and finally vindicated father played by Andrew Joshi, it just one of the moments that emotions take over.
Sadly the performance I attended at The Lowry, Salford, one of the most imposing stages in the UK was very poorly supported. Found this hard to comprehend as the appeal to children is obvious and it was a matinee. Possibly peak holiday period and the constant battle that live theatre has with other forms of entertainment these days is the explanation, I seriously hope it gets the audiences it deserves throughout the rest of the tour.
Touring until 5th November 2017.
Book Here
Bringing it to the stage with such real outdoor images was always going to be difficult but, the inventive pop-up theatre behind Kings Cross Station allowing a full sized locomotive to be part of the action has meant the story could live on.
Taking this on tour however is a completely different story, surely it isn't possible to deliver the same experience in theatres around the UK ? Unfortunately the locomotive in all its glory hasn't been taken on the road (no surprise there) and has been replaced by superimposed video on to a backcloth, not quite the same experience but, it's the story that matters in truth and that still has all the charm it ever had.
Relatively small cast led in an understated but, highly engaging way by Stewart Wright as Perks the rather quaint but, supremely proud stationmaster in the small Yorkshire village that the Waterbury family, Bobby, Phil and Peter along with their mother find themselves in after the mysterious disappearance of their father and falling on hard times.
Millie Turner, Katherine Carlton and Vinay Lad are full of youthful enthusiasm and exuberance (rarely have I heard the word 'mummy' used as often and with as much vigour) as the children, the adventures of which are all expertly intertwined by the director Paul Jepson into a delight of a production.
If I have any criticism it may be that the train carriage which occasionally move across the stage in front of some cast as passengers adds a little more to comedy than authenticity but, that's a very minor point and takes nothing away from a production that were she alive Edith Nesbit would be proud of I'm sure.
Have to admit to shedding a tear as Bobby is finally reunited with her wrongly accused and finally vindicated father played by Andrew Joshi, it just one of the moments that emotions take over.
Sadly the performance I attended at The Lowry, Salford, one of the most imposing stages in the UK was very poorly supported. Found this hard to comprehend as the appeal to children is obvious and it was a matinee. Possibly peak holiday period and the constant battle that live theatre has with other forms of entertainment these days is the explanation, I seriously hope it gets the audiences it deserves throughout the rest of the tour.
Touring until 5th November 2017.
Book Here
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