The Railway Children to close in January 2017

The Railway Children has announced its final date at King's Cross Theatre will be January 8 2017.

Mike Kenny's stage adaptation of E Nesbit's novel will close after two years at the 1000-seater purpose built theatre.

The show has also announced that Justin Fletcher – known as children's TV entertainer Mr Tumble – will take the role of Mr Perks from 31 August to 30 October. The actor has starred in Justin's House, Fun Song Factory and Tikkabilla. He was appointed an MBE in 2008 and voiced the characters of Shaun and Timmy for Shaun the Sheep.

The Railway Children tells of three children whose father disappears and they move from London to a rural cottage in Yorkshire. Mr Perks is the railway porter that the children make friends with.

This staging is directed by Damian Cruden with designs from Joanna Scotcher. The show originally opened at the National Railway Museum in York and then at Waterloo Station at the former Eurostar terminal in July 2010. It won an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment.

The Railway Children runs at King's Cross Theatre until 8 January 2017.