There was a keen sense of anticipation in the audience last night. The Railway Children is a classic - both in terms of the original book and the hugely popular film starring Jenny Agutter. It was clear that many of the adults in the audience had these fond memories in their minds as they entered the auditorium. The children were unlikely to have such associations, and were probably the best able to judge this new adaptation on its own merits.

It is always hard to look with a child's eye. Judging from the somewhat muted reaction of the younger members of the audience, I would say that there were a few moments of theatrical magic, but perhaps not enough to keep them enthralled for the whole evening.

Certainly the staging of the train crash was bold and the presence of a train on the Playhouse stage was a rare treat indeed. The stage design was very effective, being both evocative and pleasing on the eye. The costumes were similarly effective - of the period and attractive.

Whilst essentially an ensemble work, there was one performer who stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of characterisation and audience appeal. Elise Davison was very involving as the 8 year old Phyllis - she captured both the physicality and emotional honesty of a young girl.

My main gripe of the evening was the somewhat bizarre use of music in the production. Partly pre-recorded and partly played by members of the cast, it was an unhappy blend. Frequently discordant and rarely melodic, it was an annoying distraction.

From a plot perspective, the play is more a series of episodes than a driven narrative, and this meant that the evening lacked pace in places - something that could easily be worked on by reducing some of the music and repeated stage pictures.

Having said all of this, it is still a charming evening which evokes the period and does clearly bring back some happy memories for those who know the book and the film.

Simon Tavener, 17/8/4