All aboard for 'The Railway Children'

I had an exciting adventure with my daughter and grandies the other day, when we went to see a production of 'The Railway Children', one of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 events. Closely modelled on the original 1906 novel by Edith Nesbit, and the film that was made in 1970 (rather than the more recent sequel), it all took place on the Keighley and Worth Valley heritage railway, where both films were made. The story is of a family who have to move from London to the countryside when their father is (wrongfully) imprisoned as a spy. 

We boarded a steam train at Keighley station (all part of the show) and were transported up to Oxenhope. The girls were excited to spot deer from the train windows, animals that I imagine are quite used to the steam trains passing regularly along the line. There was plenty of time to look around Oxenhope station and buy merchandise and refreshments before the actual performance began. 

My youngest granddaughter was invited to climb into the loco's cab and the engine driver explained what everything was and how it all worked. 

Then we went into the engine shed, which had been turned into a theatre with seats along both sides. The performance took place on moveable staging along the tracks in the centre, which doubled as both rooms and trains, depending on the narrative. It was hugely imaginative and very well done. There were even subtitles on an app on my phone so that I could actually follow the dialogue, which added a great deal to how much I enjoyed it. 

We weren't allowed to take photos during the performance, of course, but I did snap a couple when the cast first came in. They walked up the side stages and chatted to the audience, even singing 'happy birthday' to one little boy! 

The story was faithful to the original, and included the most dramatic episodes. At the end of Act One, the landslide on the railway line was recreated using a massive pile of suitcases and trunks (instead of rocks!) that crashed down with a roar. Then came the famous scene where Roberta (Bobbie) and Phyllis take off their red flannel petticoats and wave them to stop the oncoming train crashing... at which point a REAL steam train came chuffing into the theatre! 

The same train returned at the end, bringing home the children's father: 'Daddy, my Daddy!'  And yes, I did cry... as I always do when I watch the film - much to the amusement of my grandies.  

It was a wonderful evening, memorable and magical. I'm so glad we went - and I recommend it to anyone local (if you can afford it, anyway; these productions are not cheap). It's on until 7 September.