THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

Guildonian Players at the Little Theatre, Harold Wood
11.06.16


Mike Kenny's adaptation of the E Nesbit classic – as seen at Waterloo and King's Cross - owes something of its narrative structure to Edgar's legendary Nicholas Nickleby.
The staging is simple, the story is moved engagingly along by the characters, with everyone chipping in. It starts, in fact with the three youngsters squabbling over details as they recall that summer when they became the Railway Children.
They're convincingly played by Genevieve Allen as Bobbie, the eldest, who becomes a grown-up thanks to the crisis that sends the family up to Yorkshire; Ben Sylvester as Peter, well-meaning and impetuous, and Abigail Farenden as Phyllis, acutely aware of being the baby of the family.
Two wonderful performances from Chrissie O'Connor as Mother, nobly coping with adversity, and Tom Hind as a genial, pipe-smoking Perks the Porter. And three cherishable below-stairs cameos from Carole Brand. Not to mention a clutch of actual children, including a tiny Edwardian tot in the opening scene.
Susie Faulkner's production has no rolling stock, but no shortage of theatrical magic. The sun comes out and a marvellous moorland backdrop is revealed. Revolving flats for slick scene changes, tunnel entrances framing the emergency exits, even a moving grove for the landslip disaster.
And in a triumph of total theatre, the techies run the show from a specially constructed signal box [doubling as ticket office], there's bunting in the buffet, and a fine collection of railway posters adorning the walls.

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

at Waterloo Station

29.11.11

Eurostar moved to swanky new St Pancras in 2007. Since then, Waterloo commuters have grumbled about tracks and platforms left abandoned and unused.

Now E Nesbit's characters – and some lovely period rolling stock – have brought the terminal to life, recreating the sights and sounds of a very different railway.

Mike Kenny's brilliant adaptation has the three Railway Children [all adults, though there are youngsters in the cast] sharing recollections of that eventful summer when they stopped a train with petticoats, rescued a runner, succoured a Russian refugee, celebrated birthdays and saw their absent father restored to them, with the help of the Old Gentleman of the 9.15. Although the pace never flagged, full respect was paid to the original text and the political and philosophical sub-themes of the novel, and the main characters all had space to establish themselves.

In Damian Cruden's production, the shared narration [reminiscent of Nick Nick at the RSC] works wonderfully, as, more surprisingly, does this unusual found space – a length of track with platform, and audience, either side. The inspired solution is to have movable cross-pieces, on the same tracks as the locomotive, coming and going through the steam, bringing on not only passengers, but parlours, coal-heaps and much more, and taking characters off into the steamy darkness.

The "Children" brought out their characters beautifully – squabbling or scared, full of initiative and youthful enthusiasm - Amy Noble's bossy Bobby, Tim Lewis's Peter and Grace Rowe's Phyll made a fantastic family, and drew us into their world of adventures with little soliloquies and wry asides.

Perks, everyone's favourite Station Master, was played with a strong sense of Yorkshire pride and a wicked sense of humour by Mark Holgate, and Stephen Beckett managed a striking double as the wronged father and the kindly, overworked local doctor.

The children's mother, stoical and determined, bravely trying to hide her distress, was movingly played, and beautifully spoken, by Pandora Clifford.

The familiar tale seemed surprisingly intimate in this vast space, and we were often reminded that, despite the thrill of the steam engine. the smoke, the thunderous rumble in the tunnel and the rest, it is our "imaginary forces" which make the drama as powerful as it is, helped by Christopher Madin's stirring score.