The Railway Children

Congleton Players made a welcome return to the Daneside stage with their production of the classic ‘The Railway Children’, directed by Howard Ball. This adaptation by Mike Kenny was an interesting choice, first being staged at the National Railway Museum in York before receiving a major production at Waterloo Station in London. The set was a character in itself! It was well-conceived, well-constructed and used excellently throughout. A huge congratulations to the team for the construction of the set. On the whole, the direction was good. The pace was good throughout. There were a few moments where actors were blocking each other, but these were few and far between. The end of Act 1 was visually very good, and the appearance of the train was great. It was abundantly clear when the actors were addressing the audience directly and performing the story, due to Howard’s direction. Costumes were very good throughout, and were suitable for the era.

The technical aspects of the production were very good. The soundscape throughout was well thought of, with many scenes being underscored by music. The sound was crystal clear – everything could be heard and the balance between the actors and the sound was exemplary.

Niamh Moss was fantastic as Bobbie. This was a great performance, full of charm. Niamh had excellent vocal delivery and diction throughout. It was clear from Niamh’s performance when she was portraying the older Bobbie and the younger Bobbie.

Charlie House was very good as Peter. He had a great vocal delivery and his diction was crystal clear. Charlie created believable relationships with both Niamh and Becky. There was an obvious sibling bond between them all, but especially with Charlie and Becky.

Becky Brady provided many comedic moments as the youngest, Phylis. She was very much the youngest, portraying a cheeky Phylis. Similarly to both Niamh and Charlie, Becky’s vocal delivery and diction were exemplary.

Angela McIntyre-Harrison played Mother. This was a strong supporting role from Angela. She played the varied emotions throughout very well and created a cohesive unit with Niamh, Charlie and Becky.

Andy Sykes played both Father and Dr Forester. Andy delivered a good performance. Andy delivered the famous ending well, pulling the heart strings of the audience.

Albert Perks, the station porter, was played by Lewis Robinson. Lewis did well in this role, although perhaps a bit too young. He had good interactions with the rest of the cast, creating believable relationships with them.

Orla Hayes was delightful in the cameo role of Mrs Perks. Orla had an excellent Yorkshire accent, and provided some lovely comedic moments. She worked well with both Lewis and the children.

The iconic role of the Old Gentleman was played by Mike Clowes. Mike brought a great gravitas to the role, as the kindly Old Gentleman. Mike very much looked the part as the kind stranger.

Mr Szczpansky was played by Chris Sheard. This was a good interpretation from Chris. Often quietly spoken, which suited the character, Chris was able to use his facial expressions to communicate his feelings.

Claire Morris played both Mrs Viney and Cook. Claire created two different and believable characters. Claire had excellent clarity, and worked well with the rest of the cast.

Freddie Condliffe played Jim and Policeman. Freddie created an authoritative presence as the Policeman, and was able to show a completely different character with the youthful Jim. It was a good performance from Freddie.

Aaron Nuttall played a number of small roles. He was particularly good as the District Superintendent, providing some funny moments.

The ensemble of adults and children were good, helping create the hustle and bustle of the station. The Perks children were a delight and created a good family unit.

Overall, this was a very good production. A fantastic leading trio, great staging and well implemented technical aspects.

Thank you to Congleton Players for their kind welcome and hospitality. All the best for your next production, ‘Funny Money’, next year.

This review is dedicated to the memory of Lois Francis.

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