The Railway Children Review (Oxenhope Engine Shed, Keighley)

09 August 2025 I 18:30 I Oxenhope Engine Shed, Keighley

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Mike Kenny's adaptation of E. Nesbit's The Railway Children is no stranger to the stage, previously delighting viewers at London's Kings Cross Theatre. Revised for Bradford 2025's UK City Of Culture, Damian Cruden directs a multisensorial production that goes beyond the theatre to cultivate an immersive experience that we can be a part of! Casting an Anglo-Indian family, principal ethnicities are reflective of a contemporary Bradford community, refreshing the text in an enchanting evening.

Approximately two hours before the show time, audiences arrive at Keighley Railway Station. The event itself begins as you board a steam train, travelling the full length of Yorkshire's historic railway to Oxenhope, all notable filming locations for the 1970 movie. Greeted at Oxenhope Station with themed pie shops and merchandise, you have the opportunity to absorb the site-specific atmosphere before entering the converted Engine Shed auditorium.

Staged in traverse with two audiences facing one another, the performance area comprises of railway tracks and sliding platforms running in-between. Following tradition, a real steam train enters the auditorium space through the tracks, comparable to the one you have just travelled in. You can feel the anticipation for the legendary red petticoats scene of the poster, viewers consistently leaning towards the train's entrance. Following an imaginatively staged landslide, this iconic scene more than lives up to its goosebump-inducing expectations.

The titular children are introduced as well-presenting adults, recounting their stories whilst seamlessly transitioning into performing their younger selves. Displaced in Yorkshire after their father is imprisoned, Farah Ashraf's Bobbie controls an elegant poise, delivered with great articulation. Characterising a sister that has grown beyond her years, Ashraf embodies the emotional multitude of a child's desperation to hold her family together. Younger siblings Peter and Phyllis' (Raj Digva and Jessica Kaur) exaggerated physicalities and heightened vocals are charming to find an immense likability for our leading cast.

Kenny's writing has wide family appeal, with a light-hearted surface production that we are sometimes encouraged to join in with, from applause to waving the steam train's entrance. The script boasts grown-up morals, but ultimately holds the phenomenon and humour to engross younger attendees.

Richard G Jones' lighting is hearty and warm, designing a haze-coated dreamlike quality to transitions. Noticeably as the mother (Asha Kingsley) is taken ill, a dusky blue tone utilises colour theories in an obvious, albeit attractive visual. In Act Two, a tunnel is simulated by a black gauze-like fabric sweeping just inches in front of us. The tightness of the space and translucent fabric prevents the opposite audience from being visible, immersed into a claustrophobic tunnel to rescue Max Gallagher's Jim, played with well-received comic effect.

Cruden's highly technical revival of The Railway Children wouldn't be possible without a resilient backstage team, costumed as railway workers that allow the magic to come alive. With a timely design from Jo Scotcher, the show itself does the spectacle of Nesbit's tale justice. Beyond the performance, this Bradford 2025 event is an evening out to remember for life. Returning to Keighley on the steam train post-show, you board with an entirely new outlook having lived their story.