The Railway Children. 17-21 August.
Nottingham/Oxford
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN
by E Nesbit adapted by Mary Elliott Nelson:
Nottingham Playhouse To 10 July 2004
then Oxford Playhouse 17-21 August 2004
11am 19 August
1.30pm 18,21 August
6.30pm 21 August
7pm 17-20 August
Runs: 2hr One interval
TICKETS 01865 305305
www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Review: Jen Mitchell: 25 June 2004
An Edwardian tale that remains appealing to today's street-wise young people.Understanding why the appeal remains is a conundrum. Is it the guileless characters, willingness to believe life was once less complicated, the single minded determination of the characters - or just its pleasant appeal as a story?
In this adaptation of E Nesbit's children's classic many of the themes and issues are recognisable today but they are handled, as in the book, from children's simple perspective.
The wrongful imprisonment of their father leads to their forced move to the country and life as a single parent family. In the somewhat idyllic setting of their new home, Three Chimneys, the children explore the countryside and befriend the station porter.
The passing of the London train acts as a metaphor for everything they have lost. It is from this train that Szczepansky the Russian asylum seeker arrives, the old gentleman who eventually becomes their redeemer waves to them daily, and their father finally returns from his imprisonment.
The mother's becoming a single parent is included within the child's perspective - we see only that she becomes too busy to play with them and that money becomes short, so Peter feels it is his duty to steal coal from the station.
Her loneliness and heartache are revealed through the music of the piece as she plays her violin at the rear of the stage and imagines her husband to be accompanying her on the piano. Elsewhere too, music's power to reveal unspoken emotions is used beautifully, with cast members playing individually or as an ensemble, depending on the mood of the scene.
The poignancy of Peter's ambitions to become a soldier and his discussions of what life will be like for him ten years on in 1915 may be lost on children in the audience but is strangely prophetic.
The largely wooden set, with no pretensions towards realism, takes us with ease from station to home to countryside and the huge train that comes towards the children from centre stage with its flashing red lights and billowing steam is enough to whet any young person's appetite for what is to come following the interval.
Some fine acting helps when the characters are somewhat one-dimensional and Dan Copeland as Perks, the cheery station porter, is excellent. I wonder if it's just me who thinks that, as the children's saviour Col Farrell seems remarkably like Father Christmas.
The matinee audience was largely made up of noisy school parties of various ages. That their banter and streetwise chat ceased throughout is testament to the level of their engagement and enjoyment.
Father/Szczepansky/Carter: Patrick Bridgeman
Perks: Dan Copeland
Phyllis: Elise Davison
Bobbie: Andrea Davy
Station Master/Old Gentleman: Col Farrell
Mother: Amanda Hadingue
Peter: Shameer Madarbakus
Mrs Ransome/Mrs Perks: Katarina Olsson
Director: Andrew Breakwell
Designer: Jane Linz Roberts
Lighting: Geoff Spain
Composer/Musical Director: Matt Marks
2004-06-29 14:28:48