The Railway Children

The Railway Children... a play staged and performed by Southport Dramatic Club at Southport Little Theatre, Hoghton Street, Southport on Thursday 14th May 2026

Dave Simpson’s lively adaptation of E. Nesbit’s much‑loved family tale brings fresh energy to a story we all think we know. We still follow the three middle‑class children and their mother, who swap their London townhouse for a cottage in the Yorkshire Dales — the charming ‘Three Chimneys’ Cottage, after their father rather mysteriously disappears from their lives.  At first, Bobby, Peter and Phyllis aren’t entirely convinced by this rural relocation but it doesn’t take long before they discover that life in the countryside is far more exciting than they’d ever imagined. Perks, the ever‑watchful Station Master at Oakworth Railway Station, keeps an eye on the children and with steam engines thundering through daily, the station becomes a gateway to new adventures, new friendships, and the hope of reunion.

Production Team ... Kate Miles Roberts (Director) and Corinna Davies (Assistant Director) steered this heartfelt family drama with confidence and care. In Kate’s programme welcome, she suggests that the show was ‘wonderfully rewarding, yet at times a real step outside my comfort zone’. Well, Kate — that step was well worth it. The casting was spot‑on and your understanding of the piece shone through from start to finish. We met a host of beautifully rounded characters — some young, some more seasoned — all blending together seamlessly. Nesbit may well have written this story for children, but it remains a nostalgic treat for adults too. I’ve seen The Railway Children many times (always Mike Kenny’s version), and I’ve even had the pleasure of playing Mr Perks in the musical.
But this was my first time seeing Simpson’s adaptation, which I found thoroughly entertaining, although I did feel the ending, when Father returns and meets Bobby on the station platform,
a touch underwhelming — I’m not sure if that was down to the script or the casting of father —but that aside, this was a truly lovely production, one you should all be immensely proud of!

The Cast ... a cast of nineteen — including twelve youth members, several making their
SDC debut — brought this story to life. The cast included:
Anna Motyka (Roberta/Bobby); James Nolan (Peter); Imogen Povey (Phyllis); Tash Proffitt (Mother); Ed Davies (District Superintendent/Man 1); Peter McNab (Dr Forrest/Man 2); Richard Michell (Mr Szczepansky/Father); Issac Holton (Jim); Zoe Denton (Hound 1/Woman); Abigail Davies (Hound 2/Girl); Rikki Spofforth (Perks); Zoe Findlay (Mrs Perks/Mrs Walker); Nathaniel Grills, Leyland Musa, Bonnie Kilbride, Pearle Johnson, Niamh Tolson, Yves Verite — the Perks Children.

The cast worked beautifully as an ensemble but — as is tradition — here are my personal standouts (you’ll have your own, I’m sure):  First up our intrepid trio — Bobby, Peter and Phyllis played by Anna Motyka, James Nolan and Imogen Povey, who were hardly ever offstage! They created three totally believable, engaging characters, whose mannerisms and expressions added so much charm. They worked extremely well together and with the entire cast. A special mention to Anna, whilst providing us with a fabulous Bobby, was also studying and sitting her GCSEs... great commitment on top of the well-deserved applause she received — be proud, Anna!  Rikki Spofforth as (Perks). In this adaptation, Perks is a sort of narrator which he handled with great aplomb! His diction and articulation were flawless — I don’t think I missed a single word.  Loved his line to Mr Szczepansky, “You’ve gotta change at Crewe for Russia,” which was delivered perfectly, and which got a great reaction from the entire audience. Tash Proffitt provided us with a great Mother: warm, devoted, and entirely believable. A lovely performance on top of great stage presence.  As stated previously, the casting was perfect...  so, it’s been difficult to start saying that someone was better that someone else, because everyone played their part really well, BUT I would like to give one final ‘shout out’ to another youngster Nathaniel Grills, who I’ve seen before and who took on the role of John Perks.  I think I’d be right in suggesting that the Perks children, in other adaptations, don’t feature as prominent as in this version... Nathaniel took his opportunity to develop and characterise a great John. Worked ever well with all the cast, especially Bobby, be proud Nathaniel great job! I could go on...  this was a wonderfully cast show where everyone added to the overall!

Staging & Tech... a beautifully constructed set from the SDC Construction Team, painted by the ever‑talented Bob Jessamine. The twin staircases leading to the bridge worked brilliantly for the railway scenes, and the tunnel beneath was used to great effect. Projected skylines added atmosphere and helped shift locations smoothly. Chris Ratcliffe (Stage Manager) kept everything running like clockwork. Lighting by Neil Yates ... was excellent and enhanced every moment. Sound/VFX from Chiron Farrimond & SDC Digi FX Team was spot‑on., loved the projection that enhanced all the scenes... superb job all round!

Costume:  under the watchful eye of Michéle Martin, Carole MacPherson and Sam Fulstow were, as always, first class. Props — expertly handled by Julie Whelan and Gay Stowell — were excellent and well used throughout and enhanced the production.

Chaperones ... ...  it was mentioned in the programme about the work of these selfless unnamed people, who give of their time to allow young people to perform on stage in a safe and secure environment.  Can I on behalf of NODA and myself, thank them for their services, without them, young people would not be able to fulfil their dreams... thank you!

Thanks for the invitation, thanks to Chris for arranging my seats and thanks to the cast for a wonderful production.

Stay Safe, Keep Well...
Stronger Together
Jim Briscoe... 
NODA NW District 6 Rep

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