Railway Children Pull into Waterloo Station, 12 Jul

Waterloo station is fast becoming London’s newest theatrical place to be. With the Old Vic and Punchdrunk producing work in the tunnels (See News, 19 Feb 2010), above ground a production of The Railway Children is set to be performed in the former Eurostar terminal.

Adapted by Mike Kenny from E. Nesbit’s classic 1906 novel, the site-specific production was first presented by York Theatre Royal at the National Railway Museum in York in 2008, where it returned the following year.

The production, which uses the old Gentleman’s saloon carriage from the seminal 1970 film version, also features a period steam train – the ‘Stirling Single’ – from the National Railway Museum.

At Waterloo, where it runs from 12 July to 4 September 2010 (previews from 4 July), the auditorium will be specially constructed with the audience seated either side of the original railway track, with the action taking place both on the track and on the platforms either side.

The Railway Children tells the story of Bobby, Peter and Phyllis, three children whose lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away. They move from London to a cottage in rural Yorkshire with their mother where they befriend the local railway porter and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure.

The production is directed by York Theatre Royal  artistic director Damian Cruden, with design by Jo Scotcher, lighting by Richard G. Jones, music by Christopher Madin and sound by Craig Vear.

Sue Dalton, cultural planning manager at the National Railway Museum, said: “The Railway Children has always been one of our proudest achievements. It was a big hit for two years running, and now we’re delighted to see it being produced in London. We’re thrilled that our locomotive, Stirling Single, will be used once again to wow the crowds in this production.”

The Railway Children is presented in London by Jenny King and Matthew Gale for The Touring Consortium (Railway Children), Tristan Baker, Oliver Royds, PW Productions and Sue Scott Davison who present a York Theatre Royal production, in association with the National Railway Museum. The production is supported by BRB (Residuary) Ltd and Network Rail. £1 per ticket sale will be donated to the Railway Children Charity.