Review: THE RAILWAY CHILDREN, Cadogan Hall

The Railway Children is a delightful show with beautiful music and a wonderful message about the importance of kindness. The concert staged at Cadogan Hall featured lyrics and a book by Katie Lam and music by Alex Parker, who also conducted.

The musical is based on the 1905 classic children's book by E. Nesbit, which has been adapted many times for film and television. The concert, directed by Jordan Murphy, was the culmination of two years of work from Lam and Parker, who staged an earlier version in Guildford in September 2016.

This version features new music, including a song for the new character of the Narrator, portrayed by Carrie Hope Fletcher. Twenty-four members of the Alex Parker Orchestra performed alongside a main cast and a chorus.

The Railway Children tells the story of three children who move to the country with their mother after their father disappears. Their mother writes stories to provide for her family as her precocious children spread kindness through their new community.

Fletcher was stunning as the Narrator, positioned on a high balcony above the stage. Her one song was lovely, but her speaking voice also lent itself well to the role; it's easy to tell that she has recorded audio books before.

Deborah Crowe gave a wonderful performance as the "beautiful and brave" Mother who struggles to care for her children despite her own worries about her husband. Her solo "I'll Be Here" was easily one of the highlights of the show.

The children carried the show in many ways, as they were in most of the numbers aside from a handful of solos. They had a lovely sibling dynamic and played much younger characters quite convincingly.

Rebecca Trehearn brought gravity to the role of Bobbie, the eldest daughter, who is especially close to her mother. Rob Houchen was quite funny as the cheeky Peter, in addition to having great vocals. Emma Harrold was a charming Phyllis, and made it easy to forget that she is actually much older than her character.

The rest of the cast was strong as well, especially David Birrell as the doting Father and Paul Baker as the kind but proud Mr. Perks.

Parker's score is reminiscent of Alan Menken's music or of more old-fashioned musicals like The Secret Garden. The songs are largely group numbers, along with a few scattered solos and some dialogue. Highlights included the upbeat "To the Railway" and the moving "Say A Prayer". Overall, the show has a nostalgic feel to it, similar to other musicals set at the turn of the century like Ragtime or Titanic.

Cadogan Hall was a beautiful venue for the show as the orchestra, chorus, and main cast managed to fill the stage. It was an ambitious concert staging with lots of movement, which did occasionally result in someone not quite making it to their microphone in time. The orchestra and the singers worked well together, though there were some issues with being able to tell what the chorus were singing at times.

It's a good show for children, but also has a lot to offer adults, as the show balances the stories of the children and their mother very well. It is easy to imagine The Railway Children as a fully staged production, and it definitely has the potential to have a future in the West End.

The Railway Children was at Cadogan Hall on 21 January.

To post a comment, you must register and login.