The Railway Children

Now almost 100 years old this well-known favourite has seen many screen adaptations and provided a huge challenge for the Players to bring the story to the stage, particularly in a limited space.

The audience was thrown back in time even before the curtains opened as an intriguing array of suitably attired cast gathered in the aisles awaiting the arrival of the train, generating at once an atmosphere of eager anticipation for what was to come.

The curtains opened to a bustle of activity on the station as the Porter, cleverly made the required “front of house” safety announcements in character, and the travellers entered the station.

We were quickly introduced to the “family” central to the story, Mother, Father, and three children, and as the action unfolded the “children” kept the audience abreast of all the goings-on.

Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis are forced to move to rural Yorkshire with their Mother as unknown to them their Father had been unexpectedly  imprisoned accused of spying. As they settle  into unfamiliar surroundings and try to come to terms with their new life they discover the local railway, make new friends and embark on a series of adventures which happily result in the return of their Father to the fold.  

The action moved from the station and the family home in London to the railway and a cottage in North Yorkshire, all achieved by a cleverly thought-out set, using portable raised platforms. These were stealthily moved around by the backstage crew all suitably attired in dungarees and flat caps, to represent the various scenes and of course the train!

On occasion some may have found this mildly distracting but for the most part it worked well, achieving the desired result for the necessary scene changes in a challenging space.

There was a large cast, and everyone pitched in to support the principals with some doubling up in cameo roles.

The London Porter particularly was excellent and switched  easily to Yorkshire as Mr Perks the local Station Master and was ably supported by the performer playing his long-suffering wife, whose  great expressions said it all, together with some delightful actual children!

First rate cameos came from a perfectly measured Official also playing the local Doctor, and a most believable Russian exile who also doubled as the Butler.

The Old Gentleman whose help the “children” enlisted and who eventually went on to save the day, was most endearing as was the young performer playing his grandson, who also did sterling work as the Policeman.

The children’s Mother while kind and protective showed an underlying firm steeliness as she battled to make ends meet in their straightened circumstances. The Father top and tailed the piece believably, while also taking a series of  supporting roles in between.

All the costume changes must have made for a busy time backstage!

Of course, the three “children” stole the show! Exceptionally played by adults, Bobbie, Peter, and Phyllis were just perfect, never missing a beat!

The costumes and props were all excellent and of the period – there were some wonderful suitcases – and effective sound and lighting complemented the action with terrific steam train effects.

The programme photos of the cast in their younger years were a particularly nice touch, and it was clear throughout that a great deal of hard work and forward planning had been put into this project. With a rehearsal period fraught with challenges the Director and all the cast and crew did exceptionally well to bring the production to the stage.

Well done everyone aboard The Railway Children train!

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what they see at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance, and it is inevitable that their assessment will be affected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

 

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