The Railway Children
Adapted from E Nesbit by Lynne Lawrence who also directs
Tethered Wits Theatre Company
Actors’ Church, Covent Garden
Star rating: 4
This is The Railway Children neatly pared down to a 60 minute four hander and it sits very nicely in the Actor’s Church garden with a platform built over the steps at the West door and the audience sitting on semi-circles of park-type benches.
All cast members are adept actor-musos and there’s some attractive music – wistful, atmospheric, excited – composed by MD Deakin Vanleeuwen and integrated into the action. Alexandra Clare (Phyllis) playing an arrangement of “The Banks of Green Willow” on clarinet, for example is a poignant moment.
Olivia Warren as Bobby gets the older-sister, half child and half adult right and although it seems initially confusing when she morphs from time to time into the children’s mother, it soon settles. In fact Warren ages 20 years simply by wrapping a shawl round her shoulders and modulating her voice. She’s no mean violinist either.
Joe Keenan’s performance as Peter, the excitable middle child, is very convincing. He doubles as Mr Sczepansky, the deeply depressed Russian refugee who is searching for his wife and family. Keenan communicates the poor man’s despair beautifully.
Clare’s Phyllis is very young, excitable, and cheerfully struggles to pronounce some long words which is a nice touch. She also makes her character’s eyes shine so that we believe completely in this well meaning but sometimes over-enthusiastic little girl.
Rory Dulku sports an attractive suave RP for the children’s father and a rich Yorkshire accent as the down-to-earth Mr Perks. He plays the two roles so differently that you hardly notice it’s the same person.
Of course some of the incidents in the novel have gone in this succinct take on The Railway Children but most of the key things are in, or at least referred to briefly. Mr Perks’ birthday is included for example, as is Peter’s stealing coal from the station. We also get the train which has to be stopped to prevent a land-slip related accident – with the children in the audience all waving red flags. They are invited to help hold up the sign to attract the old gentleman’s attention too.
There are no trains as such in this production. Instead the cast create appropriate noises and create an illusion by watching and pointing.
Tethered Wits is a Cotswold-based company which tours outdoor venues. I’m very glad that this, and the sister production Jeeves and Wooster, are in London for a few performances because this company really is rather good.
