This wonderful, imaginative and eye-catching production has rightly won awards aplenty and extended its run at the specially-built theatre at Kings Cross Station.
The rundown area of old London town is undergoing a renaissance with a beautiful piazza, Central St Martins, and King’s Place so it is apt that this traditional story by E Nesbit is being retold harnessing the best of new technology.
For anyone wanting an experience – this is it. Ushers are dressed as station guards and the foyer is a recreation of station waiting room – vintage signs, a ‘ye olde’ sweet shop (at modern extortionate prices – shame) and seating arranged as platform one and two. The action takes place on a 90m space – a train track with moveable stages, manoeuvred almost unseen by hands in engineer costumes. You cannot help but be drawn into the action.
Writer Mike Kenny cleverly tells the story as a series of seemless scenes, linked by our time-travelling children – Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis – who recall the time when they were The Railway Children.
One of the joys was watching my young companion’s face as the story unfolds – the train is a genuine surprise and gasp out-loud moment, the puffs of steam, the use of the tunnels – particularly during the paperchase – added drama but the human story is still moving and heart-warming to all.
There are some interesting glimpses into family life: the relationship between Mother (Caroline Harker) and the children is a far cry from that of the modern parent and child – Father’s story is kept from them; these are the days of living within your means – jam and bread is a ‘reckless luxury’.
But the three ‘children’ Serena Manteghi, Jack Hardwick and Louise Calf speak to our 21st century children joking about French ‘we were taught it, we didn’t learn it’ and there are so many themes that resonate – refugees, oppression, the difference between rich and poor, as well as a loss of innocence and doing the right thing.
Perks, the father figure who in turns is kindly and strict. Jeremy Swift’s anger at his birthday presents stilled the audience and was genuinely moving.
It goes without saying that the train is a wonderful sight but one character that deserves a mention is composer Christopher Madin’s wonderful score that fitted each mood perfectly.
All in all, a masterclass in storytelling, a history lesson, and a wonderful, theatrical experience. But for you, teachers, check out the education programme – there is a range of excellent workshops at: railwaychildrenlondon.com (production ended in Jan 2017)
Review by Lesley Finlay