Harker & Lancaster to Lead THE RAILWAY CHILDREN at Waterloo Station

Caroline Harker and Marshall Lancaster will lead the cast as Mother and Mr Perks in Mike Kenny's new adaptation of E. Nesbit's novel The Railway Children which will be performed at a unique venue at Waterloo Station in the former Eurostar terminal. The Railway Children previews from 4 July, with press night 12 July and is booking until 4 September 2010.

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.

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?

Marshall Lancaster is best known on television for playing DC Chris Skelton in the award-winning BBC dramas Ashes to Ashes and Life on Mars. His other television credits include roles in Boy Meets Girl, Bob Martin, Coronation Street, Holby City, The Lakes and Family Affairs. On stage he played the role of Mr Perks in the York Theatre Royal Production of The Railway Children. His other stage roles include Wuthering Heights for York Theatre Royal and The Arbor for Sheffield Theatres.

Caroline Harker is best known on television for playing WPC Hazel Wallace in A Touch of Frost and Celia in ITV's Middlemarch. On screen she has also been seen in Margaret, Dance to the Music of Time and Moll Flanders. On stage her credits include All Mouth for the Menier Chocolate Factory, Entertaining Angels for Chichester Festival Theatre, Tusk Tusk for the Royal Court and Present Laughter on tour nationally. On film her credits include A Woman of the North, Christmas Tree and The Madness of King George III.

The auditorium at Waterloo, created especially for this production, will be built with the audience seated either side of the original railway track, with the action taking place both on the track and on the platforms either side. The production, which uses the old Gentleman's saloon carriage from the original classic film, will also feature a period steam train from the National Railway Museum in York.

Directed by Damian Cruden, design by Joanna Scotcher, lighting by Richard G. Jones, with music by Christopher Madin and sound by Craig Vear, Mike Kenny's adaptation of The Railway Children was first produced by York Theatre Royal at the National Railway Museum, York, where it enjoyed two sell-out and critically acclaimed seasons in 2008 and 2009.

E. Nesbit's much loved children's book The Railway Children was first published in 1906 and has subsequently been adapted for the stage and screen, most famously in the 1970 film version directed by the late Lionel Jeffries and starring Jenny Agutter, Bernard Cribbins, Dinah Sheridan and Sally Thomsett.

The Railway Children , a York Theatre Royal production, is presented in London in association with the National Rail Museum by Jenny King and Matthew Gale for The Touring Consortium (Railway Children), Tristan Baker, Oliver Royds, PW Productions and Sue Scott Davison. The production has been made possible with the support of Welcome to Yorkshire, the official tourism agency for Yorkshire, BRB (Residuary) Ltd and Network Rail. The production is in support of the Railway Children Charity that aims to help homeless and runaway children throughout the world, with £1 per ticket sale donated to the charity.

With workshops and community opportunities, The Railway Children will also be supported by the National Museums for Science and Industry and Lambeth Council. In addition there will be a photographic exhibition mounted by the Railway Children Charity and a schools project What Does Home Mean to Me?

Damian Cruden has been Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal for the past twelve years where he has directed many productions including The Railway Children. Previously he worked for various regional theatres as a freelance director including The Tron and TAG. He was Associate Director for Hull Truck in the early ‘90s and prior to that Co-Artistic Director of the Liverpool Everyman Youth Theatre.

The Railway Children is supported by Arts Council England.

For more information, visit: www.railwaychildrenwaterloo.com

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