A superb musical theatre adaptation of E. Nesbit's quintessentially English classic. An idyllic family Christmas in an affluent London suburb is interrupted by a knock at the door. Affable Station Master, Mr Perk’s, recounts the story of a young Edwardian family, whose lives have been irrevocably changed by a set of unforeseen circumstances. When Foreign Office Civil Servant, Charles Waterbury is imprisoned for selling state secrets, his wife up-sticks, moving her children to Three Chimneys Cottage, Somerset. Discovering a railway near their new home is just the beginning of a series of adventures for the Westbury Children Roberta (Bobbie), Peter and young Phyllis.

The Railway becomes the source of friendships, love, dramas and reunifications, as the Westbury family embed themselves in the heart of their new community, fighting for justice and to clear their family name. Julian Woolford's and Richard John's musical brings a masterful emotional depth to this rite of passage story, that follows the story’s protagonist Bobbie as she transitions from an innocent youth to a responsible, politicised adult. Woolford and John’s adaptation features heartfelt ballads, stirring choral numbers and tuneful melodies. Notes for Schools

Thank you for booking to see The Railway Children at The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre this Christmas. This resource is to support your visit to our show, and provide you with additional creative and cross-curricular ideas to enhance your teaching. It is put together with teachers in mind and we hope it will inspire your lessons in the lead up to watching. There are 5 sections: 1. Before the show: With notes about the themes in the book and musical, a scene break down, introductions to the cast and creative team. 2. Christmas art project: information about our Christmas card art installation and how you can get involved. 3. Workshops you can book: arrange a visit from our Assistant Director or visit West Somerset Railway. 4. Watching the show: Questions to help students consider all the elements of production whilst watching the show. Hopefully helping to maximise their understanding and enjoyment. 5. After the show: Suggestions for reviewing the show, developing your group’s critical appreciation skills. We hope you enjoy your visit, please do stay in touch to find out about future opportunities for schools at The Brewhouse. Dion Saunders, Take Part Manager at The Brewhouse Before the show: Book, film, musical

Edith Nesbit first published The Railway Children in 1905 in serial form in The London Magazine and based it around her childhood when she had lived at Penshurst in Kent. She later wrote that those years were the happiest in her childhood.

The opening paragraph of the book The Railway Children by E.Nesbit

The book has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 film version is the best known. After the successful BBC dramatisation of 1968, the film rights were bought by the actor Lionel Jeffries, who wrote and directed the film, released in 1970. Jenny Agutter and Dinah Sheridan starred in the film. The music was composed, arranged and conducted by Johnny Douglas.

Jenny Agutter says about the film, we cry when we watch it because we are mourning our own lost innocence. "You cry because of your sense of yearning. That is what is in her book and that is what Lionel so cleverly gives people. People cry at their own sense of loss, that they don't have that magic they had when they were little. You suddenly become that child again, believing in something that you feel you've lost." The lost father is a favourite Nesbit theme: her own father died when she was four and in her books she was always trying to get him back. Bobbie's cry at the end of The Railway Children - "Oh! My Daddy, my Daddy" - remains one of the most recognisable and touching lines in children's literature. You can watch a clip of the film here https://www.imdb.com/title/ The 1970 film, which stars Miss Agutter, tt0066279/videoplayer/ Bernard Cribbins and Dinah Sheridan. vi3123493401?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1

The Brewhouse are presenting the original 2005 the stage musical Music is by Richard John and book and lyrics by Julian Woolford. The score was recorded by TER/JAY records and the musical is published by Samuel French Ltd.

The 1970 film poster Before the show: Edith Nesbit

Imagine being one of the most well-loved children's authors, yet your readers don't know your real name. E. Nesbit is Edith Nesbit, who wrote an extraordinary 98 novels, plays and poetry collections for children and adults between 1885 and 1923. She is credited as the first modern writer for children whose work has influenced authors from Oscar Wilde to C.S. Lewis, Noël Coward to J.K. Rowling.

Edith Nesbit was born in London in 1858. When she was four her father died but her mother continued to run the agricultural college which her husband, and before that, his father, had founded in Kennington, London. Edith had a sister, half sister and 3 brothers. She was educated on the continent when she accompanied her mother and sister Mary travelling throughout France, Germany and Spain. This was not a holiday but an attempt to get her sister well as she was suffering from tuberculosis. Upon their return to England Edith's mother moved the family from London to Halstead, Kent. This was the start of Edith's love of the countryside, a setting for many of her stories.

The Railway Children reflects the unconventional life of its author Edith Nesbit. Money was always an issue for Nesbit as she had known poverty as a child and as a young married woman, even at the height of her success. In the book there is a tension between keeping up appearances and reality, particularly in Mother's desire to keep up an outward show so that outsiders remain unaware of the true extent of the family's poverty. However the real tension in her life was between what was expected of a respectable woman of the era and the realities of her life. Mother seems to be a self-portrait, but it was wishful thinking from Nesbit as she was far from a model of Victorian and Edwardian propriety. She was 19 years old and seven months pregnant with her eldest son Paul before she married the child's father, Hubert Bland. Even then the couple did not immediately live together, her husband preferring to remain in the comfort of his mother's home, leaving Nesbit to fend for herself. Like Mother she was forced to try and sell her stories and poems to earn an income. Eventually her diligence paid off when, in 1899, The Story of the Treasure Seekers, featuring the attempts of the déclassé Bastable children to restore the family fortunes, became a bestseller. Edith became a mother of five children, three her own Paul, Iris and Fabian, and two, Rosamund and John, she adopted in secret after her husband had an affair with a close friend Alice Hoatson (who subsequently lived with them).

In 1900, Fabian had his tonsils removed. The doctor carried out the operation at the Blands’ home, Well Hall, in Eltham. The boy was given an anaesthetic and the doctor departed, but Fabian never woke up. He had choked on his own vomit as a result of his parents forgetting that he was forbidden from eating for 24 hours before the operation. Nesbit was inconsolable. It was after this sudden death that Edith wrote her bestsellers, stories that dramatically changed the course of children's literature.

Edith and her husband both had numerous love affairs- she had a E. Nesbit bibliography (main books) succession of relationships with much younger men, as well as an unrequited 1899 The Story of the Treasure Seekers love for Bernard Shaw who was just 1901 The Wouldbegoods embarking on his career. After her 1902 Five Children husbands death in 1914 she found 1902 The Red House happiness with Tommy Tucker, a captain 1904 The Phoenix & the Carpet of the Woolwich Ferry, whom she 1904 The New Treasure Seekers married in 1917 and together they built a 1905 Oswald Bastable & others home at St Mary's Bay, Dymchurch, Kent 1906 The Story of the Amulet where in May 1924 Edith Nesbit died. 1906 The Railway Children 1907 The Enchanted Castle 1908 The House of Arden 1909 Harding’s Luck 1911 The Wonderful Garden 1912 The Magic World Edith Nesbit in her Well Hall 1913 Wet Magic home Before the show : Themes

Golden Age of Children’s Literature This is a period dating from around 1880 to the early twentieth century. Today it’s regarded as a literary age that produced some of the finest works of art ever created for children's literature. A movement that, for the first time, focused on producing texts specifically oriented to appeal to children. Thousands of books were published annually during this period. Like so much of Golden Age children's literature, The Railway Children is a retreat, the celebration of the rural idyll of an England that never existed. It also presents an idealised view of childhood, in which unconstrained and adventurous children, prevent derailments and set in motion the wheels that allow their falsely incarcerated father to return home. Classic fiction provides useful sources of information for investigating the lives, beliefs and values of people in the past, The Railway Children could be a great starting point for a history project about Edwardian England.

An Edwardian Christmas in England Only a decade long only, the reign of King Edward VII ran from 1901 to 1910. The Railway Children was written by E.Nesbit in 1906. For a traditional family, preparations for the Christmas holiday began the last Sunday before Advent, which was called Stir Up Sunday. A plum pudding was prepared, and the family would take a turn stirring the batter and add a good- luck coin that would be discovered on Christmas day when the pudding was served. It was then steamed and stored over a month for the flavours to develop. On Christmas day it was then steamed again with more brandy added and was served flaming. The Edwardians decorated their homes with holly, ivy, yew, laurel, mistletoe, paper chains, ribbons and candles. After the introduction of the Christmas Tree by Prince Albert, it became a huge favourite of the Edwardian era and was seen almost in every house during Christmas however they were not set up until Christmas Eve. Edwardians mostly used homemade decorations which were carried forward year after year. Father Christmas had been a figure in English history since medieval times. He represents the Christmas spirit of goodwill, but he did not bring gifts. He came from the Norse God Odin and wore a blue-hooded cloak and white beard, and had an evergreen wreath around his head. St Nicholas, the Christian saint, visited Dutch children on Christmas Eve and left toys and candy in their straw-filled clogs. By Edwardian times, Father Christmas and St. Nicholas had merged together, and Father Christmas brought gifts to good children who hung up their stockings on Christmas Eve. The vibrant red that Santa has worn since the 1930s was not his colour choice in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. Father Christmas on cards can Christmas card from 1907 often be found in a rainbow of colours from green to blue to violet, as well as in brown and white. Red, the colour associated with Father Christmas (and a Coca-Cola advertising campaign in the early thirties), won in the end.

Christmas cards were first commercially produced in 1843 by Henry Cole, then gaining in popularity amongst the upper and middle classes of mid Victorian era Britain. The introduction of cheap postage in the 1870's led to a dramatic increase in the sending of cards. Therefore by the Edwardian era, and with the introduction of mass produced and inexpensive colour lithographic postcards, the giving and receiving of Christmas cards had become a well established and popular custom amongst all classes of society. (Left) In green c.1890s. (Centre) In blue c.1900s. (Right) In purple, 1908. Before the show : Themes Political Echoes The Edwardian era coincided with the start of a new century and heralded significant changes in technology and society, including steam turbine propulsion and the rise of socialism. Edith and her husband Hubert Bland together as early socialists were founding members of the Fabian Society, from which the Labour Party has its foundations. In January 1893 the Fabian Society attended the Bradford Conference which had been called to set up an independent working class political party. The Society hoped to convince delegates of the need to stay with Liberalism. Such was the strength of feeling for the establishment of a working class political party at the conference, however, the Fabian Society realised that they had little support. Instead the Independent Labour Party was formed. In 1894, a substantial sum was left to the Society to further ‘its propaganda, objects and socialism in any way it deemed advisable’. Half of that sum went to the setting up an institution for economic research and teaching; that became the London School of Economics and Political Science. The unjust conviction of the children's father in The Railway Children was clearly inspired by the Dreyfus case. It was a political scandal that divided the French Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. The affair is often seen as a universal symbol of injustice, and it remains one of the most notable examples of a complex miscarriage of justice. In the book the Russian who turns up at the station having escaped imprisonment in Siberia for writing a book about the Russian poor was inspired by the Russian exile Sergi Stepniak who along with his anarchist comrade Peter Kropotkin was a friend of the Blands. He visited London attending Fabian meetings and writing radical journals. Ironically, Stepniak was killed by an oncoming train as he walked down the line - an accident that may well have been suicide. Blue plaque at 17 Osnaburgh St

Electricity in Taunton Henry Collyer Massingham settled in Bristol and subsequently his family made a considerable mark on various industries in Bristol and the South West. Henry Collyer’s son Henry George was the most adventurous electrical entrepreneur in the South West in the 1880s. Henry George, born in 1851, settled in Bath at Oldfield Road around 1870. He expanded his shoe business, purchasing a Taunton shop on Fore Street, from his brother-in-law, Samuel Elworthy. He had witnessed the illumination of Bristol Cathedral by the electric light in 1878, which was illuminated for a special musical festival and hired the equipment taking it to Taunton for a demonstration to the Town Councillors there. With the help of the British agents, Laing, Wharton & Down, for the American company of Thomson Houston, he set up generating facilities in the workshop of his shop and commissioned the street lighting there on 1 May 1886. It was the first public electricity supply in the South West, beating Bristol’s first public supply by seven years. The world's first public electricity supply was provided in late 1881, when the streets of the Surrey town of Godalming in the UK were lit with electric light. The Taunton Electric Lighting Company’s first customer was the Castle Hotel. In Taunton, he was considerably aided by two other businessmen in the Town; Henry Newton, who had an electrical manufacturing firm and Mr. Easton of Easton & Waldegrave, who made steam engines. He was considerably struck by the electricity bug and managed to persuade the Councillors at both Exeter and Bath to let him set up electricity supply companies in the two cities and establish generating stations in 1889 and 1890 respectively. Before the show : Lesson Prompts

Theme Question Points

Theme Question Points An Edwardian Christmas in England

Golden Age of Children’s Literature • What do you most enjoy about • What is your favourite Children’s book, what makes you like it? Christmas?

• How would you like to be portrayed in a film? • Have you tried making your own gifts or Christmas cards before? • What characters would you include in a story? Who would be the lead character? • See our art project at the end of this pack to join in with our Edwardian Christmas installation in the Brewhouse gallery.

Theme Question Points:

Political Echoes

• What do you know about the political parties in the UK today? Theme Question Points

• You can discover the UK Parliament in this useful Electricity in Taunton teachers PDF https://www.parliament.uk/education- • How many times do you use electricity each day? resources/FINAL%20HOP%20KS2%20BOOK%20FOR% 20DOWNLOAD_LR%20-%20Copy.compressed.pdf • Can you identify the things in your classroom that • There’s a fun video here for 7—11 year olds https:// use electricity to power them? www.youtube.com/embed/Qs-9B3FRXCA • Do you know how electricity is generated?

Moral Issues Use any one of these themes from the story as a basis for a class discussion:

• Coping with difficulties: The family had to change their whole lifestyle when Father was taken away. How did they manage to do this? What sacrifices did they have to make?

• Friendship: Discuss why Peter and Jim soon became friends. In what way was the old gentleman a friend to the children, even though he was a lot older than they were?

• Kindness: The old gentleman was very kind. There were also many examples of the children being kind to each other and to their mother. Encourage the class to think of and discuss some of the examples of kindness in the story.

• Courage: The children showed great courage throughout the book. Ask the class to think of different occasions when they were brave Edwardian Christmas Art Project

This year join in to help us create an Edwardian Christmas card display and exhibition in our gallery. We are making it with hundreds of hand made, printed and designed cards made by the local community. Lots of groups of children, young people and adults will be making during the Autumn and all creations will be delivered to The Brewhouse in late November for us to display. We hope this will be an exciting project and topic for your group with themes that can be explored with all ages - printing, history, colours, construction and links to artists. To help you get started here are our tips and suggestions.

One of the most significant seasonal traditions to emerge from the Victorian era is the Christmas card. It was Sir Henry Cole, the first director of the V&A, who introduced the idea of the Christmas card in 1843. Cole commissioned the artist J.C. Horsley to design a festive scene for his seasonal greeting cards and had 1000 printed – those he didn't use himself were sold to the public. Later in the century, improvements to the printing process made buying and sending Christmas cards affordable for everyone. The age placed great importance on family, so it follows that Christmas was celebrated at home. For many, the new railway networks made this possible. Those who had left the countryside to seek work in cities could return home for Christmas and spend their precious days off with loved ones.

We hope you will enjoy exploring using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space. This is a Art and chance to try working with unusual materials or try a new technique. The project is also a good Design opportunity to study an artist who has used materials in an exciting way or experimented in mass production.

Ideas to explore: • Cards with a political message. What would your political message for todays card be? The one below supported the Suffragettes. • Cards with a colourful Father Christmas. Before the 1930’s he was dressed is many different colours, green, purple or blue. If you could change the colour of his outfit what would it be? • Mass production. What designs work well for mass production? What Christmas themes sell best or appeal to the most customers? How would you mass produce a card?

John Callcott Horsley and the first Christmas Card Here is an image of the first Christmas card, printed and sold in the UK. The artist is John Callcott Horsley. The run of 1,000 cards, which featured a party group flanked by scenes of charity, were sold for a shilling each. Of the 12 surviving cards from the original print run, one was sold on auction in 2001 for £22,500! Initially, greetings were sent as postcards with the pre-written message and illustration on the front and the address on the back. Customers began adding some personal writing, and by 1915 folded cards sent in envelopes started becoming more popular.

Ideas to explore: • Try print making: use a lino block to carve out a design, ink up and print. How many can you make from one block?

• Hand colouring: the first card was reproduced lithographically and then hand coloured. A technique that could be copied today with a pen/ink design, photocopier and watercolour paints.

Make a Christmas card that doesn’t have a Christmas scene Early Christmas cards often featured flowers or springtime or summer scenes. Early Christmas card manufacturers had previously made Valentine’s cards, which preceded Christmas cards in popularity by several decades. There was no guarantee that Christmas cards would ever be as popular as Valentine’s and so instead of commissioning new illustrations and creating new printing plates they adapted existing ones and simply added a seasonal greeting. Ideas to explore: • Cards that aren’t Christmasy. What scene would make you feel happy at Chritsmas? • Include Nature. Valentines cards often have flowers, trees, animals and insects on.

Kate Greenaway Kate Greenaway was famous children’s illustrator during 1860s –c. 1900 who designed mainly for Marcus Ward & Co. She studied graphic design and art between 1858 and 1871 at South Kensington School of Art, the Royal Female School of Art, and the Slade School of Fine Art. She began her career designing for the growing holiday card market, producing Christmas and Valentine's cards. Her depictions of children in imaginary 18th-century costumes in a Queen Anne style were extremely popular in England and even influenced children’s fashion. This artwork is a particular inspiration for the Edwardian Christmas card installation at The Brewhouse. Her illustrations often appeared next to short rhymes and were very popular and mass produced in large numbers. Ideas to explore: • Cards with a rhyme. Funny or sentimental, lots of Edwardian cards included a short poem. Making Paper Lace Use a pin to punch a delicate pattern on a piece of paper and then cut to create a border for your card. You could use a pencil to draw on the design if you want even dots or trace through a pattern. You could also sew into the piercings to create another effect. A pin will dull quickly on paper or card so use an emery board to sharpen the pin, don’t forget to punch into a protected surface like a piece of cork or fabric covered chopping board. The history of embroidery on paper can be traced back to the late 1700’s when pin pricking was used to adorn cards and enhance painted pictures. The pricking was done from either side which gave a different texture. Also, different size needles and tools were used to create various size holes. This art form was most popular around the 1850’s. One nice thing about this type of sewing is there are no knots! You can use a piece of tape to secure the beginning and end of each thread. Also, when you finish the card, you can back it with something else, so no one will actually see the back of your piece.

The Brewhouse Post Box

During the exhibition in December visitors will be able to make their own Christmas cards and post them in the Brewhouse post box. All cards posted in the exhibition will be stamped with a specially commissioned Brewhouse Railway Children post cachet stamp and then transferred to the Royal Mail for posting. A fun way to remember your visit to the show / exhibition and send a Christmas message to a friend.

Stamps will be available for sale from the box office, cards without stamps will be added to the exhibition. This project will help students achieve elements of the primary history curriculum, for example ordering events in time; this project could nicely conclude a study of Victorian England. It could help children History find differences and similarities between Christmas today and in Edwardian times. By researching and making cards, students will be writing and talking about the past; using different sources for information; asking and answering questions. Why not visit a local museum or historical place to link your project to local people in Edwardian times. You can find a list of places here: https://somersetmuseums.co.uk/category/time-periods/edwardian/ If you are studying the Victorians and including the Industrial Revolution, Work Houses, Victorian school life etc. there is a danger is that children will view the Victorian/Edwardian era as one of unrelenting darkness and poverty. So this project is a chance to focus on the achievements of the era. What had they achieved by the end of the era that didn't exist before?

Themes could include

Idealisation of the family and women’s suffrage The ideal of family - respectable and loving, dominated the Victorian period. The cult of the home grew steadily, with Queen Victoria and her family providing a role model for the nation. Women were expected to stay at home and bring up the family but the reality for many poor families was that women had to work; and many single middle-class women also had to work. This could be matched with a discussion about Women's suffrage and the fight for women's right to vote. It finally succeeded through two laws in 1918 and 1928. It became a national movement in the Victorian era.

The growth of leisure pursuits The 19th century saw the beginning of mass leisure: seaside holidays, religious activities, and the development of public parks, museums, libraries, spectator sports, theatres and music halls. Christmas celebrations fit well within this theme.

Planning your making session, a note from Dion, Take Part Manager at The Brewhouse: Introduce the theme and talk trough the different types of Christmas card. I would suggest putting all the art materials in one area of the room and allowing ‘free flow’ making time. Some examples of cards made by artists of the era would help makers who feel ‘stuck’. We would love every card to be different and personal to the person who has made it. We will be displaying cards on strings, shelves and the walls so a blank back that does not need to be displayed will help me install, flat backs on cards will also help. There’s no right or wrong, just have fun.

Visual inspiration and session resources from Pinterest

Check out my board https://www.pinterest.co.uk/DionAtTheBrewhouse/the-railway-children-art-project/ for more inspiration.

Please let us know if you are interested taking part via [email protected] Dates Nearer the time there will be other elements of the exhibition to be involved with. Finished cards are to be delivered to The Brewhouse gallery on Friday 29 November and will be displayed until the end of December. Items can be collected from the new year, however they will be displayed collectively with all artwork so they must be clearly labelled so they can be identified by the person collecting. We suggest a written name in the card rather than a label which will be likely to fall off and spoil the look of the installation, thank you. Happy making!

The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre, Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1JL

01823 283244 www.thebrewhouse.net Before the show : Scene by scene (spoiler alert!)

Act 1

Scene 1 London House and Perks sings a prologue. Street The family are celebrating a Christmas party at home. Carol singers arrive. The children’s 1905 (Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis) toy train explodes. Two gentlemen arrive to speak with father, mother returns to the room and says Christmas is cancelled. Scene 2 Charing Cross The children are moving to the country via train without their father. The children are Station then the unhappy that he had to go away on business. The family sing about the country and what cottage it will be like. Scene 3 The cottage The family arrive and don’t have food for dinner. They unhappily unpack their belongings. The next morning the wake to hear the train outside. Scene 4 The hillside The children watch a train rush past and think about their father. They see an Old Gentleman wave back to them. Scene 5 The station The children meet Perks. The explore the station and talk about the Gret Green Dragon. They meet other villagers. Scene 6 The cottage then the The children tell mother about the station and Perks. Mother falls ill, a doctor visits and hill leaves a large shopping list. Mother cannot afford the list of food, the children realise they are poor. They decide to ask the Old Gentleman on the train for help and write a letter to him, signalling from the hill. A hamper arrives at the cottage. Mother recovers. Scene 7 The station The children meet village children at the station. They tease them for sounding posh. A Russian man exits a train and falls down, no one understands him. They discover he can

speak French. Bobbie has a conversation with him, Mother arrives and the family take him home. Scene 8 The cottage Szczepansky (the Russian man) looks at a photo of his wife. The family discuss who he is and how he has escaped from Russian prison for writing a book.

Scene 9 The hillside The children write again to the Old Gentleman to ask for help to find Szczepansky’s family.

Scene 10 The cottage garden The children go out for a picnic. Bobbie returns to find mother crying, she asks about father, they both miss him. Scene 11 The hillside The children have their picnic watching the trains. There is a landslide falling across the trainline. The children wave the girls red petticoats tied to sticks as warning flags. Bobbie stands on the line, the train stops a few yards in front of her and then she faints. Before the show : Scene by scene

Act 2

Scene 1 The station platform There is a presentation for the children to award them for saving the train. All the village are there including the Old Gentleman and Szczepansky. Mother meets the Old Gentleman who tells her he has found Szczepansky’s family in London. Scene 2 The hillside The children watch a paperchase. One boy has an accident in the tunnel, the children go to look for him. Scene 3 In the tunnel The children hunt for the injured boy. They find Jim, Phyllis and Peter go for help. Help arrives and they take Jim to the families cottage. Scene 4 The cottage The doctor arrives and Phyllis and Peter bring medicine wrapped in newspaper. Bobbie reads a story on the paper, it’s about father and his 7 year prison sentence. Mother arrives with the Old Gentleman who is Jim’s grandfather. Mother agrees to nurse Jim in return for payment. Bobbie shows mother the newspaper and she explains he is accused of being a spy for the Russians. She decides to ask the Old Gentleman for help. Scene 5 The cottage garden The Old Gentleman and Bobbie discuss fathers arrest, they set off for London together with mother to campaign for his release. Scene 6 Train carriage Bobbie and mother travel together.

Scene 7 London The Old Gentleman has news of father and his clerk who was jealous of him. The clerk has been seen talking to a Russian spy. They have many letters of support for fathers release. Scene 8 The cottage Bobbie has 5000 signatures on a petition, she shares news with Jim.

Scene 9 London A crowd read a newspaper, mother shames them for their hurtful comments. Bobbie speaks and the crowd turn to their cause. Scene 10 The cottage garden Jim prepares to leave for school, they say goodbyes. The children run to the hillside to wave off the train. Scene 11 The hillside The children watch the train and everyone unboard waves to them. Bobbie realises there must be news and walks to the station, she passes a villager taking a message to her mother and runs to the station. Scene 12 The station The whole village are at the station, all excited. The train arrives and smoke clears, Before the show : Film fact checker

The cast • Sally Thomsett was 20 when she was cast as 11-year-old Phyllis. Her contract forbade her to reveal her true age during the making of the film and she was not allowed to be seen smoking, drinking, going out with her boyfriend or driving the sports cars that were her passion. Even the film crew did not know her true age. • The British Film Institute ranks this film as the 66th Best British Film of all time, the only children's film to make the list. • Graham Mitchell who played the train guard was a geography teacher at Dudley Grammar School at the time of filming.

Shooting a film set in Edwardian times • The children's father dresses in the 'traditional' red and white Father Christmas outfit in order to hand out the presents. Father Christmas has a long and rich history, but up until 1931 he had been portrayed most often in black and white, or green and white. It was in 1931, that Coca-Cola created an image of Father Christmas in red and white, for a Christmas advertising campaign. So although theoretically possible, it is unlikely that red and white costumes would have been used in Edwardian England. • About 3/4 through the film, which is set in the 1900s, there's an exterior shot of Jenny Agutter (as Roberta) talking to William Mervyn (as "the old gentleman"). Over Mervyn's shoulder can be seen a white delivery van driving rather fast along a road on the other side of the valley from where the filming took place (this is very obvious in the wide- screen version but less noticeable in the pan-and-scan TV version).

Train Safety • As the engine approaches Bobbie in the 'landslide sequence' and comes to a halt, drifting steam is seen coming down from the sky and entering its funnel, indicating the shot is actually reversed footage of the train backing away from Bobbie so as to not endanger the actress by attempting a precision stop inches away from her. Before the show : The actors

Hannah Morrison Training: BA (Hons) in Acting from The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Credits: Holy Land (Tour and Edinburgh Fringe 2019), The Reunion (NFTS short (Bobbie) film), Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton), Lore (Amazon Studios & Valhalla Entertainment).

Adam Dawson Training: B.A (Hons) in Musical Theatre from ArtsEd. Credits: Jackson in Works of Art (Tristan Bates Theatre); Wickersham #1 / Mr. (Peter) Mayor in Seussical the Musical (Southwark Playhouse); Hanschen/Dance Captain in Spring Awakening (Hope Mill Theatre); Onstage Swing & 1st Cover Claude in The 50th Anniversary - Hair The Musical (The Vaults)

Celia Cruwys-Finnigan Training: Rose Bruford College Credits: Louise in PRIVATE ELIVES (The Mill at Sonning), Jill in JACK AND THE (Phyllis) BEANSTALK (Queens Theatre Hornchurch), Rose in THE SECRET GARDEN (Barn Theatre Cirencester), Whitney in ROBIN HOOD AND THE BABES IN THE WOOD (Stafford Gatehouse), Vi Petty in BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (UK Tour), Daisy in THE GREAT GATSBY (UK Tour), Gretchen in THE BUREAU OF LOST THINGS (Theatre 503)

Kathryn Shenton Training: Oxford School of Drama Credits: Delicious (Sky1), Frogman (Curious Directive), Spindrift (Curious (Mother) Directive),The Smallest Story Ever Told (Kings Head Theatre, London), Ratchet (Soho Theatre, London), Julius Caesar (The North Wall, Oxford)

David Martin Training: Mountview Theatre School Credits: Romeo in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Malcolm in ‘Macbeth’ (Tabs Productions), (Father and Mr Adam in ‘Rough Crossing’ (Salisbury Playhouse), Scarecrow in ‘The Wizard of Szczepansky) Oz’ (Westcliff Palace), Ratty in ‘Toad of Toad Hall’ (Newpalm), Milo Tindle in ‘Sleuth’ (Tabs Productions) and Colin in ‘Absent Friends’ (Westcliff Palace)

Phil Sealey Training: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Credits: King Norbert in Jack and the Beanstalk (Colchester Mercury), Elephant (Perks) in Sounds and Sourcery (Vaults), Dar in The Illness Should Attend (Bunker Theatre), Barry in FatBusters The Musical! (Park Theatre), Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol (Brewhouse Theatre), Sir Charles Worral in Princess Caraboo (Finborough Theatre), Armstrong in Sondheim's Roadshow (Union Theatre), Sarah the Cook in Dick Whittington (Newbury Corn Exchange)

Robert Dearn Training: East 15 Credits: 'Mercutio' in Romeo and Juliet (Blue Orange Theatre), 'Prince Charming' (Jim and Engine Driver) in Cinderella (Mitchell Arts Centre), and 'Beast' in Beauty and The Beast (Tour). Robert has also appeared in videos for BBC Bitesize and RNLI's float to live campaign.

Glyn Dilley Training: BA (Hons) in Theatre Arts, Rose Bruford College Credits: Merlin in King Arthur, Story Pocket Theatre; Odysseus in The Ithaca (Old Gentleman and Axis, Trinity Arts; Michael Winner in When Blair had Bush and Bunga, Bunga Doctor Forrest) Bunga Productions; Mike in Gigolo, and James Earl Ray in Dreamer, Watermill; Rowley in Tithe War!, Marchant in The Bluethroat, Gizzard in Message from Neptune, Eastern Angles; Chaplain in Mother Courage, Jim in The Glass Menagerie, Anselme in The Miser inter alia, The Wolsey Theatre Before the show : The creative team

Director and Choreographer Vanessa LeFrancois We hope you enjoy our adaptation of The Railway Children and its underlying message to appreciate what we have, our family and friends this Christmas.

Vanessa is the Chief Executive and Artistic Director of The Brewhouse. As a freelance choreographer and stage director, she worked for English National Opera; Scottish Opera; Welsh National Opera; Chichester Festival Theatre; Opera North and Glyndebourne. Internationally credits include New Israeli Opera; Vlamse Opera; Opera National du Rhin and Montpellier. Vanessa trained at London Contemporary Dance School and Alvin Ailey, New York and is a former Director at The Place, London.

Designer and Scenic Artist Eloise-Rose Philpot Elle is a set and costume designer for theatre, film and fashion. Since graduating from Rose Bruford School of Speech and Drama Elle has worked on a range of productions such as Costume Designing the opera Ruth in Covent Garden, being part of the wardrobe department in numerous films such as In2ruders, set designing and styling the Marko Feher A/W 2017 collection and assisting various designers in television, theatre and opera. After assisting on The Wizard of Oz at The Brewhouse last year Elle is now designing the whole production this year.

Musical Director Lisa Tustian Lisa is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music. Lisa has worked on a wide variety of productions as a musical director and singing coach, and as a singer and instrumentalist. Besides opera and music theatre, she directs choirs and has led a myriad of community and education projects including coordinator of Somerset Opera’s Young Performers programme and SingingWorx for Taunton Music Trust and Sound Foundation Somerset. What is a Musical Director? The musical director is contracted during pre-production by the producer and director, they are responsible for the vocal and instrumental performance of the cast and accompanying band or orchestra. They are integral to the musical texture of the shows they work on. The musical director begins work by attending creative meetings with the director and choreographer to develop the overall vision of the show and determine the mood and theme to be portrayed. This person studies the script and music, then participates in auditions to evaluate the vocal abilities of each potential cast member and offer suggestions on which individuals might be best suited for a particular role, based on the vocal performance required. They will also audition and hire musicians. After the production is cast, the musical director teaches the music to the cast and musicians, then rehearses their performance. These sessions will take place separately in the initial stages of rehearsal, and then the cast and band or orchestra will be combined to fully develop the sound. The musical director will lead regular warm-ups with the cast and musicians before each show. This person often serves as the conductor during live performances, directing the orchestra and cueing the cast’s intro to a number. On a smaller show, they might also perform as a musician during the show, playing the piano or keyboard. Before the show : The creative team

Movement and Assistant Director Penelope Simmons Penelope Simons is a performer in Musical Theatre, having trained at the MTA in Seven Sisters. Since graduating, Penelope has accomplished credits in both choreography, musical theatre and short films with shows receiving 5 star reviews. She is working on The Railway Children as Assistant Director and Choreographer and is experienced at working with groups of children and young people in and out of school.

Production Manager Chris Alexander Chris is the Technical Manager at the Brewhouse Theatre. Prior to moving to Taunton, Chris was Chief Electrician and environmental ambassador at the Oxford New Theatre and previously worked at Swindon Wyvern Theatre as a Technician. Chris has a BA (Hons) in Film Production and has produced several independent Sci- Fi and corporate films.

Production Managers make sure that everything happens at the right time, to the highest standards. Chris is responsible for realizing the vision of the Producer and the Director within constraints of technical possibility. This involves coordinating the operations of design, costumes, lighting, sound, projection, automation, video, pyrotechnics and stage management. In addition to management and financial skills, a production manager must have detailed knowledge of all production disciplines including a thorough understanding of the interaction of these disciplines during the production process. This may involve dealing with contracting staff, finding materials and services, managing logistics, IT, solving delay problems and being responsible for workplace safety. Production Managers are great negotiators and have to remain calm under pressure.

Lighting Designer Stu Comely Stuart Comley is a freelance lighting designer and technician who graduated from Bridgwater College in 2014. Since then his Lighting design and operation credits include The Wizard of Oz (The Brewhouse), Sweeney Todd (The Brewhouse); Throughly Modern Millie (McMillan Theatre); Bowie Experience (Tour); ABBA Mania (Tour) and Little Shop of Horrors (Tacchi Morris Arts Centre). FREE Schools Workshop

For schools who book 20+ tickets to see the show we can offer a free in school workshop with Penelope Simons, Movement and Assistant Director, at your school. Sessions are limited and will be booked on a first come first served basis.

Available dates and times: A 1 hour session can be booked on 11 and 12 November between 9.30am – 4pm. For how many children: 35 children plus teachers / adult supporters, ages 5+ What will happen in the workshop: The workshop will give your students the chance to explore the characters and themes in The Railway Children through drama games and physical theatre skills. Penelope will teach some of the choreography from the show, adapted to suit the age of your class. The workshop will finish with an opportunity to lead a Q&A with Penelope to expand their knowledge of staging a show, who it involves and what everyone’s role is within the creative team and the cast. Prior knowledge of the book or musical is not required by students. If your class is working towards an Arts Award this session will help you to meet outcomes in several sections of Explore and Discover awards, also elements of the Bronze Award. A large open space is the most suitable for the workshop, such as school hall or dance room. About the workshop leader: Penelope Simons is a performer in Musical Theatre, having trained at the MTA in Seven Sisters. Since graduating, Penelope has accomplished credits in both choreography, musical theatre and short films with shows receiving 5 star reviews. She is working on The Railway Children as Movement and Assistant Director and is experienced at working with groups of children and young people in and out of school. The Brewhouse hold a current DBS check for Penelope and have checked relevant references. Cost: This workshop is free if your school has booked to visit the show! To book please complete the form. What to wear: Please ask pupils to wear comfortable clothes suitable for dancing, PE kits and trainers would be perfect. Booking information

Answers Name of School and address

Lead teacher / contact name

Telephone number

Email

Preferred date and start time of workshop Where would the session happen? Classroom, hall, dance studio? How many children are in the group?

How many teachers / adults are in the

How old are the children and any special requirements?

Why are you booking? What are your aims for the session?

Date / time of your show booking

Please complete and email to [email protected] The Railway Children Workshops at West Somerset Railway

To celebrate the production of The Railway Children at The Brewhouse, The WSR has prepared an Edwardian-themed schools package available from 1st October - 2nd November 2019. Travel back in time with us for an Edwardian Railway Experience!

Why not come in costume and join us for an Edwardian experience day on the railway? The WSR would like to invite schools to take part in one of our Railway Children themed learning events. We offer a variety of learning options, including teacher-led learning sessions and self-guided museum visits, along with a range of travel options so you can complete the experience by travelling Edwardian style one of our historic trains.

School learning sessions cost £45 for a class of up to 32 children and last approximately one hour. Further information on school visits and how to book can be found by visiting the learning pages of our website at www.wssrt.co.uk/learning Bookings for workshops at WSR are direct with the railway not through The Brewhouse.

Workshops include:

• EYFS/KS1: Living at Three Chimneys – What was life like for the Railway Children?

• KS2: Deadly Forces: Exploring safety on the railway - Why did the Railway Children become heroes?

• An Edwardian Christmas

• Edwardian Wash Day

Workshops will also be on offer again in Spring 2020 alongside an exhibition featuring props, costumes and materials from the show. More information from www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/ The Railway Children Workshops at West Somerset Railway

A Brief History of the Railway The West Somerset Railway is the longest standard gauge independent heritage railway in the UK. Beginning at Bishop’s Lydeard, the line stretches across the Somerset countryside for 22 miles and passes through 8 other stations before terminating at the seaside town of Minehead. Much of the original planning and survey work for the railway was completed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was instrumental in deciding on the final route that the line should take. The plans were finalised by November 1856 and the West Somerset Railway Company was incorporated on 17 August 1857 by an Act of Parliament to build a railway from Taunton to Watchet. Construction of the new railway began at Crowcombe in April 1859 with engineer George Furness at the helm and was to take 3 years to complete. The line finally opened for passengers in March 1862 and for goods in August. In 1865 an Act for a new Minehead Railway was passed to extend the line from Watchet to Minehead. The Act failed, but by 1871, a renewed Minehead Railway Act was passed and construction for the new line began in 1872 and was completed by July 1874. The line continued to be added to and by 1921 had been amalgamated into the Great Western Railway. In the 1930s, alterations were made to significantly increase the number and length of trains that could be handled as Minehead became a popular holiday destination. Camp coaches were placed at Blue Anchor and at Stogumber, which encouraged holiday makers to use the train to reach these rural locations. In 1936, the GWR's chairman, Sir Robert Horne, opened the new £20,000 open-air swimming pool at Minehead. By the 1960s however, the railway had started to decline and despite the opening of a Butlins holiday camp at Minehead in 1962 which brought some 30,000 people to the town that year, the line was recommended for closure in the 1963 Reshaping of British Railways report. The last train left Minehead station in 1971, though by 1979, the line had fully re-opened as a heritage railway and is now celebrating its 40th Anniversary. Workshop dress up ideas Time to watch the show

Sit back, relax and enjoy the show! There are two acts with an interval so please think about interval snacks and drinks before your visit. We are very happy to arrange packs of drinks or ice creams for your class in advance - just call the box office to place an order 01823 283244. To be able to fully review and evaluate the show after visiting it may be useful to give students some elements of the production to think about while they are watching. Some students may find it helpful to make notes during the show, others may prefer to concentrate fully on the production and make notes afterwards. You can also choose whether to allocate groups to look specifically at different elements during the show, or ask all students to cover all areas .

The Music

The Action Do the songs help you to understand the story? Make a note of what happens in each scene, How does the music change the atmosphere of a scene? is the story clear? Which song do you like best, can you remember the tune? What happens during the transitions? How would you describe the style of the music? What are the most obvious themes? What decisions has the director made in the telling of the story?

How do the ‘ensemble’ help to tell the story? The Adaptation What dramatic style is the musical? How is this musical different from the film? Have you read the book, does this represent the same story? What do you think are the main themes of the story?

The Design How does the set help to tell the story? How many different locations are represented in the musical? What do you like about the set? What do you notice about the lighting design? How do the costumes set the era of the musical, does this change during the musical? After the show: Write a review

We would love to hear your students reviews of the show. If your group write, film or draw reviews following their trip to The Brewhouse please do send them in. We really want to know what teachers and students think of the show. Send them to us at [email protected]

Writing a Review A review is useful to many people including theatre producers, the cast and crew and audiences. Reviews are quoted in marketing materials and audiences sometimes use them to decide whether to come and see the show or not. Your review should cover all aspects of the performance so here are some questions to think about:

• What is the show called and where can people see it?

• What is the show about?

• Who’s in the show and who are the key people behind the scenes?

• What aspects of the production really stood out for you?

• What did you like about the performance, the set, the costumes, the music etc.?

There is a useful resource on the BBC website which will help you to write a review:

LINK: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ education/guides/zxs9xnb/ revision/1

You don’t just have to write a review, you could draw a picture or film yourself talking about the show.

Think about where and how you will share your review, would other students in your school like to know about it?