THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

This was a big challenge for a small venue and the Directors and their teams, but it was a feat of technical and engineering ideas that worked extremely well, and I was impressed that such a lot could be achieved technically in a small space.  Being familiar with the film, I was curious to see how the play would translate to the venue and still retain the feel of the railway, whilst allowing for the homes and other situations, and I thought this was well-achieved. 

I liked that fact that there was a lot of humour, which the audience enjoyed, and it released the tension created by the story.

Sound was mostly good, lighting and effects were interesting, the steam coming from the tracks, and I liked the use of trollies to move the cast as if they were on the train, and also for some of the static action,  Yes, there was a bit of clunkiness in having stage crew moving the trucks, not always quiet, but I could see the reason for it, and felt it worked well, as it was all manual with no electronics used.  The use of a small number of props to create the various rooms meant that the action flowed, which I appreciated.

Costumes were good, but a little more attention to detail in something that is time-specific would have been good.

The use of two different casts was very interesting, they were all good, but there were pros and cons.  I felt the family children for the matinee – Sinead Crampsie (Bobbie), Sam Tillin (Peter) and Angel Bayliss (Phyllis) - were the stronger team.  The evening children – Amelie Rocha (Bobbie), Theo Fright (Peter) and Jenny De Fillipo (Phyllis) were all very good too, but in both casts I was particularly drawn to the girls who played Phyllis. 

Rachael Horsler and Emily Venn who played the mother in the matinee and evening shows respectively, also brought their own characterisations, creating different dynamics within the production.

Darren Adams (Father) was believable, and looked the part.  Darren also acted as stage manager and coped very well with what he had to do.

I liked Simon Tuck’s (Perks), he created a very kindly but stern character, reacting well to both children and adults.  Janine Wall (Mrs Perks) also created a caring mother, with her brood of children – Niamh Tillin, Charlie Gadsden, Sophie Robinson, Matilda Dowdall and Athena Fright – who all acted nicely.

Daniel Difalco (Butler) was in the background for this part, but came into his own when playing Szezcpansky the displaced Russian, a very creditable performance.

Alistair Brown (Old Gentleman) gave a very sympathetic portrayal, as the kindly but perspicacious person who helped the family.

Alex Greaves (Jim) added to the proceedings, with his reaction to his injury and his increasing fondness for Bobbie – nicely done.

Sophie Venn (Maid), Judy Palmer (Cook and Mrs. Viney), Alex Greaves (Government Official) and David Sachon (Government Official, Doctor and District Superintendent) all gave their roles the benefit of their experience, blending well with the rest of the cast and creating supportive characters.

Overall a fine production, with some very good portrayals, very challenging for the cast and technical team, but everyone pulled their weight and I was appreciative of the enormous effort made to make this an enjoyable experience for all. 

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