Welcome to this performance of the Railway Children. Today’s show will be audio described by Bradford 2025’s community trainee audio description team. We’re in an old engine shed, a long thin space with a high vaulted ceiling. On arrival, the space is mostly dark with a few dim lights hanging from the ceiling and smoke effects throughout, as if a steam train has just left. You enter the space through a dark, narrow staircase, and find yourself on a train platform.

It’s just like being at a train station with a platform on both sides of a central track, which is lower in the ground than the platforms. There are long rows of seats for the audience along the edge of both sides of the track, about six rows on each side. There are several moments within the performance where there are very loud audio effects to represent the sound of a train zooming past. The loud noise lasts for a few seconds while the train passes, and the characters give warning of when the train’s approaching. The noise is accompanied by white lights that flash right next to the railway tracks, the light moving along the tracks as if it’s light from train windows.

Sometimes we have to imagine a train traveling through, but at others, a real steam train arrives at the platform, the same one that was used in the original Railway Children film. At one end of the space, at the end where you come in, is the station master’s office, a small wooden building painted white with dark green frames around the edges and windows. There’s also white fencing and gates, and railway signs saying, Oakworth. Way down at the opposite end of the space is a bridge across the railway line with steps on either side going down to each platform. This is also green and white to match the station master’s office.

Behind the bridge, there are tall, thin, arched frosted glass windows which change colour to reflect the time of day. Deep blue for late at night, orange at sunrise or sunset, and yellow or blue with clouds for a sunny day. Throughout the space, there’s other railway station paraphernalia, such as tall wooden signals and old fashioned suitcases and luggage in small piles. The action takes place along the whole length of the platform on either side. There are also several moving parts of the stage, which run up and down the train track and take us to different locations, like a room in someone’s home, the station master’s office, or inside a tunnel, as well as a train carriage moving.

These are made of wood and are the same width as the gap between the two platforms. They’re moved by people dressed as railway workers with dark hats and clothing and smudges of coal on their cheeks. Each one of these rectangular sections is a similar width, but a bit shorter than average car park space. As we arrive, there’s one section in place at the centre of the tracks. On it is a wooden chair with bright red leather padding facing the railway bridge with a few luggage cases in front of it.

Let’s tell you about the characters now. There are 19 of them played by 14 actors, and they’re going to introduce themselves.

Roberta:

Hello. I’m Roberta Waterbury, but you can call me Bobby. I’m the eldest sibling out of three, and I’m an Anglo Indian 13 year old girl.

I have shoulder length black curly hair, olive skin, and I’m five foot six. I wear a blue flowery blouse, reflective of my mother’s Indian heritage, a long navy skirt. And when we move to Oakworth, I wear a white pinafore and blue beret too. I have sturdy black boots on and, of course, a red flannel petticoat underneath my skirt.

Peter:

Hello. My name’s Peter, and I’m 10 years old. I wear a three piece navy blue pinstripes suit. I now live in Yorkshire with my mother and my two sisters, Roberta and Phyllis.

Phyllis:

Hi. I’m Phyllis. I’m eight years old. I’m mixed race. I wear a blue and white striped dress with a white petticoat and a blue beret hat.

Mother:

Hello. I’m Mother, a tall and elegant Indian lady in her forties, decked in the finest Edwardian clothes.

My clothes are typical of the English upper class of the time with a slight Indian twist. I wear a high collared lace white shirt adorned with beautiful light blue embroidery at the collar. A long flowing rich navy coloured skirt which is nipped in tightly at the waist and a matching fitted structured jacket with sparkling jewel buttons on the cuffs and down the front. An opulent teal coloured velvet hat with bright blue and green peacock feathers finishes off the look. Nice to meet you.

Father:

Hello there. I’m Father. I’m a rather tall, handsome gentleman of a certain age. I have a a dark moustache and slicked back hair. I often wear a top hat, a large black frock coat, and pinstripe trousers.

I work for the government, which is quite a high powered job, so so I earn quite a bit of money.

Mr Perks:

Hello. It’s Mr Perks here. I am five foot nine with a moustache and sideburns and a rosy friendly face. I’m wearing a station masters porters uniform, which consists of black trousers, a black top, a black hat with porter written on it, a black tie and a white shirt. I’m also wearing black shoes.

Nell Perks:

Hello. Nell Perks here. I’m 36 years old. I’m a slim build with pale white skin and red rosy cheeks.

I’m wearing a pale flowery pattern blouse and a dusky pink skirt with a flower pattern on it. I have brown lace up boots on and also a maroon shawl. I’m usually carrying a baby and followed by my brood of five children.

The Old Gentleman:

Hello there. This is the old gentleman.

Not a name I bestowed upon myself. I can promise you that. I’m a man of seemingly considerable wealth and, apparently, considerable influence, though I was born to neither. My nearly six feet, is crowned by white hair, balding top of my head, a white close cropped, finely groomed beard. I am dressed immaculately and of money, but not gaudily.

A grey top hat, a white shirt, high white imperial wing collar, a silk grey cravat with a silver and diamond tie pin. I have a brocade and silk grey and cream waistcoat, a frock coat open at the front down to my knees, striped grey, subtle trousers, polished black ankle boots. And that clicking you might hear as I walk, well, that, of course, is my silver topped ebony cane with which I never go without, and my hands always wearing silk grey gloves. I shall look forward to meeting you all, and I hope you enjoy your journey.

Mikhail Shepanski:

Hello. My name is Mikhail Shepanski. I am a writer from Russia. I speak very little English, but I do speak quite good French. I, I shall be wearing a big black coat, a waistcoat with a white shirt. I like doing magic, especially for young children. It makes them smile, and I like to make people smile. I also have a nice Russian hat that I like to wear to keep me nice and warm. I have a beard, that could do with, some grooming. And, yeah, I hope you enjoy everything you see.

The Doctor:

Hello. I’m the doctor. I’m white, six foot tall, and in my mid forties. I have close cropped dark hair. I wear a green tweed suit and a caramel coloured corduroy waistcoat. The suit’s a little crumpled, and the waistcoat a little creased. I also have a rather fetching dark brown hat.

Mrs Viney:

Now then. Hello. I’m missus Viney. I’m five foot five. I’ve got brown hair with grey streaks, and it’s all tied up in a bun. I’m slim build with, just a slightly bent over posture. I’m wearing a brown tweed skirt, a puff sleeve light green check blouse, a stripy pinny, and I’ve got black lace up boots.

The Butler:

Hello there. This is the butler. I’m five foot seven, dressed in a black three piece tailcoat suit with a black bow tie and shoes. My heritage is Indian. However, I was born and raised in the Southern part of England, and I’ve been serving the master for the past decade.

Cook:

Hello. I’m Cook. I’m five foot five. I’m slim build. I’m very neat with brown hair tied in a bun. I’m wearing a white cook’s hat, a bluish purple dress with white collars and cuffs, and a pristine white apron over the top.

The Between Maid:

Hello. I am the between maid. I’m a white woman with dark hair and a little clip on white hat with a ribbon. I’m wearing a dark blue dress and a lacy white apron. I have rosy cheeks and I love my job.

The Maid:

Hello. I am the maid. I am a mixed race woman in my early twenties. I wear a pink and white striped shirt and a darker shade of pink skirt that has a black flower pattern on it. On top of that, I wear a stone coloured apron and hat.

The Superintendent:

Ey up! Now I can be a little bit boring, but, well, I’m the district superintendent, you see. And I’m a middle aged, pale, white skinned man, five foot six inches and, I’m wearing a green tweed jacket with a bowler hat and a Dickie bow tie.

Jim:

Hello. My name is Jim and I’m in my mid teens. I have pale white skin, and I am five foot six inches.

I’m wearing an Edwardian grammar school games kit with white trousers, a red jersey, and a red and white peaked sports cap. Gee Wilikins

 

And that’s the end of the introductory notes. We hope you enjoy the show.