Yesterday, Thursday 3 June, the 66 tonne Stirling Single arrived at Platform 24, Waterloo Station as preparations began for the production of Mike Kenny's new adaptation of E. Nesbit's novel The Railway Children. Bernard Cribbins, who played Mr Perks in the original film, escorted Stirling Single on to the platform to hand over the station porter's cap to Marshall Lancaster who will play Perks in the stage adaptation.
Previewing from 4 July, with press night 12 July and booking until 4 September 2010, The Railway Children will be staged in the old Eurostar terminal at Waterloo Station in a specially created performance space either side of the tracks.
The 66 tonne Great Northern Railway 4-2-2 No 1 (Stirling Single) was built in 1870. Stirling No1 was designed by Patrick Stirling - Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Northern Railway - as an express passenger locomotive and was built at the Doncaster Works, the same factory that built Flying Scotsman. Stirling Single pulled in the Gentleman's Carriage which appeared in the original film and will be used in the theatre production.
The Railway Children tells the story of Bobby, Peter and Phyllis, three children whose lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away. They move from London to a cottage in rural Yorkshire with their mother where they befriend the local railway porter and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure. But the mystery remains - where is Father, and is he ever coming back?
The cast comprises David Baron (The Old Gentleman), Nicholas Bishop (Peter), Louisa Clein (Phyllis), Caroline Harker (Mother), Elizabeth Keates (Mrs Perks),
Steven Kynman (Jim), Marshall Lancaster (Mr Perks), Roger May (Father/Doctor), Blair Plant (Shepansky),
Amanda Prior (Mrs Viney) and Sarah Quintrell (Roberta), who are joined by Grace Rowe and Mat Ruttle and children from Lambeth and Southwark.
