Railway Children at the Palace in Paignton - a memorable trip down memory lane

Anyone booking to see The Railway Children at The Palace Theatre, Paignton, should not expect a fast-paced ride. However, this show is everything you would hope for. Full of nostalgia, heart and real warmth.

After a mixed year of shows from Bjiou, this is a real return to form. Director Maggie Campbell has assembled a very adept cast, nearly half of which are children, and this really is worth leaving the comfort of your home for if you are looking for a play which brings forth old-fashioned values and something a little gentler than the usual night out.

All three of the ‘Railway Children’ are extremely good, but in particular Jaxlee Harris as Peter holds his own wonderfully well in a big part, with his two sisters Roberta (Louise Jessamine playing the part made famous by Jenny Agutter) and Phyllis (Robyn Coyle adding great humour and character).

The show is at its strongest, though, in the scenes with Andy Killen as Albert Perks, the station master (Bernard Cribbins in the 1970 film); and his wife, played by Gill Poore. Both could be out of central casting, having the perfect look and demeanour, and they reminded me of the sort of excellent character actors who would appear in old BBC Dickens adaptations when such things were commissioned.

They act both as narrators and in tandem to drive the story along and are given a real range of emotions to play with. There is also a wandering minstrel (Ezra Shaw) on the station, who provides musical interludes in the style of Feste from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which I’m certain isn’t in the film but is a really lovely way of linking scenes in what is a difficult show to stage. There is clever use of sound and light to move from place to place, with a very evocative train; but worry not, without spoiling too much, there is also a very impactful physical train that is worth waiting for.

The ensemble cast all add value to the show and there is not a weak link, with the additional children being particularly strong and well directed.

Although The Railway Children touches on some deeper subjects such as money, or the lack of it, and even undercurrents of socialism, this isn’t what you’ll leave the theatre thinking about. Instead, you’ll focus on the lovely family dynamics, the real believability of the setting and characters in what is a very evocative trip down memory lane.

It is hard to fault this warm hug of a show, and couldn’t we all do with one of those at the moment?

There's still time to enjoy the show on its last day today, Saturday November 29. To book tickets visit: www.palacetheatrepaignton.co.uk