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Toronto's Railway Heritage Museum at Roundhouse Park is getting a neighbour for the summer of 2011. The Touring Consortium (RC) International and Marquis Entertainment are bringing the York Theatre Royal Production of The Railway Children to a purpose-built 1,000 seat theatre on a portion of the park across from the CN Tower.
Opening in May, The Railway Children is an acclaimed stage adaptation of the classic novel by Edith Nesbit. Performed on moving platforms that glide on and off the real tracks and on wooden platforms on either side, the play is set within a country railway station in Yorkshire, providing the perfect stage for the showʼs star – a real, live period steam train.
Set in the early Edwardian era, The Railway Children tells the story of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, three children who are reduced to poverty after their father is unjustly imprisoned and they are forced to move from a large comfortable house in London to a poor cottage in rural Yorkshire adjacent to the railroad tracks. The children befriend the local railway porter and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure. Originally serialized in 1905 in London Magazine and published in book form in 1906, The Railway Children has been popular for many generations. It was made into an immensely successful film in 1970 and into several television and radio adaptations.
This unique stage production began life in 2008, produced by York Theatre Royal at the National Railway Museum in York, UK, and was such a success it was brought back in 2009. The production transferred to London in 2010, where it was performed at the former Eurostar Terminal, at Waterloo Station. London critics hailed the production as one of the yearʼs best, and it became one of the city's top-grossing stage shows, setting box office records.
Toronto's run starts with previews on May 3, and while it is currently booked for 26 weeks, the show will stay as long as its selling tickets. Group sales are on sale now through mirvish.com, while single tickets go on sale on April 4th. While there are 1,000 seats inside, seating in 10 rows on either side of the tracks means everyone is close to the action. The historic railway station on the park site will function as the box office for the duration of the run. UrbanToronto thinks this is a brilliant idea for this site, both the perfect setting to present the play, and the perfect opportunity to introduce the recently opened Railway Heritage Museum to many new people. This should be a huge hit with families, and rail buffs of any age.
