The Railway Children: A Musical – Electric Theatre, Guildford

Picture: Danny Kaan

The Railway Children: A Musical continues at the Electric Theatre, Guildford until 5 February 2023.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Railway Children, the classic 1906 novel by E. Nesbit, has enjoyed a number of adaptations over the years, being particularly associated with the actress Jenny Agutter: first in the 1968 BBC television adaptation and 1970 film, in which she played Bobbie, the eldest of the three children; then in ITV’s made-for-television film in 2000, playing Mother; and most recently reprising the role of Bobbie, now grown up, in last year’s sequel film The Railway Children Return.

Its latest incarnation as The Railway Children: A Musical, featuring music by Alex Parker with book and lyrics by Katie Lam, is inspired both by the novel and its televisual counterparts, albeit more by Richard Attenborough’s turn as The Old Gentleman in the 2000 adaptation than by Agutter’s performances.

Following previous concert presentations in Holy Trinity Church, Guildford and two years later at London’s Cadogan Hall, the theatrical premiere of The Railway Children: A Musical at the Electric Theatre, Guildford by Quick Fantastic, Parker’s production company, represents the fruits of the desire to present it as a fully staged show. Directed by Deborah Crowe, who originated the role of Mother in the concerts, it is also something of a homecoming for Parker, who played Peter, the middle child, in a different version of The Railway Children in the same theatre when he was 10 years old.

Mother is a central character in Parker and Lam’s musical adaptation, accorded the final say in Act II’s ‘I’ll Be Here’ prior to the closing chorus number. Anna Vardy offers a fine portrayal of this family matriarch unexpectedly left to fend for herself following the wrongful arrest of her spouse, Darren Street’s Father. In an impressive moment of theatre, she executes a well enunciated passage of French-language dialogue in conversation with the Russian exile, Mr Szezcpansky (also played, slightly confusingly, by Street).

But at the heart of the show are Laura Sillett, Cassius Hackforth and Charlotte Fleming (all of them recent drama school graduates) delivering brilliantly animated performances as the children Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis. They are at their most effective when they appear in ensemble, in songs such as ‘To the Railway’, ‘Tell Me a Story’ and ‘Say a Prayer’ in Act I. Sillett particularly stands out as Bobbie, presenting the full gamut of emotions, childishly playful with her siblings, exhibiting great strength when tending to her infirm mother, yet intensely dramatic towards the end of the story.

The Old Gentleman, the mysterious figure who becomes an unlikely benefactor to the children’s family, is portrayed with an appropriately distinguished air by Tony Siddall. Elliott Griffiths is suitably amiable as Perks, the station porter whom the children befriend, and Rosie Hatton is remarkably sympathetic as the character (not in the novel) of Miss Connolly, a woman working in a man’s world, who is instrumental in uncovering and calling attention to the evidence that ultimately exonerates Father.

Parker, who also serves as musical director in this production, has an immense talent for composing infectious melodies, which are capably brought to life by Martin Higgins’ colourful orchestrations. Lam’s writing complements Parker’s score commendably. Act I ends on a spectacular cliffhanger; Act II on a more poignant note. Individual numbers are carefully crafted, not least the sinister exchange between Father and his interlocutor (‘The Interrogation’), Dan Barzotti’s standoffish Inspector.

The stage adaptation affords many creative opportunities beyond the medium of the original novel. The charming duet ‘Here is a Girl’ between Mother and the incarcerated Father, one of the show’s many highlights, is a particularly artful touch. This version also enables the development of some of the book’s secondary characters such as Perks and Mrs Perks, played with great chemistry by Griffiths and Clare Salter.

An admirably slick and thoroughly enjoyable performance right from the opening night, this fantastic new musical certainly deserves a wider audience, and the formidable award-winning writing partnership of Parker and Lam is definitely one to keep watching out for.

Christopher Wiley