Our summer 2024 family production will be the much loved classic, The Railway Children - based on the classic novel by E. Nesbit
All aboard! Tethered Wits invites you to embark on a magical journey filled with fun, music, and heartwarming storytelling.
Meet the Waterbury children: Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis. They are ordinary children living in an ordinary house, until one day, a mysterious event changes their lives forever.
Forced to move to the countryside, they move near a bustling railway, where every passing locomotive brings new mysteries, friendships, and discoveries. Our young heroes find themselves in the midst of a true adventure.
Bring your friends and family together, on a journey that celebrates the timeless power of love, community, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
👨👩👧👦 Age Guidance: 5+ (Fun for all the family!)
🕒 Running Time: 1 hour (no interval)
🚪’Doors open’ 45 minutes-1 hour before the performance begins for picnics. Check your venue's information for details.
Praise for Tethered Wits’ 2023 open-air show:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
‘Great fun… great interaction with the audience keeping the kids entranced’
The View From the Stalls
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
'Excellent: well adapted, well-acted and well directed’
North West End
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
'The cast were absolutely outstanding… I was captivated throughout'
What's Good To Do
★ ★ ★ ★
‘A magical sixty minutes’
North West End
RORY DULKU
Perks / Father / Old Gentleman
This is Rory's second year with Tethered Wits having been a part of their successful season last year. It's feeling like a very different year with the style and type of productions, and he's very much looking forward to stretching out as Jeeves: who doesn't love a beaten down butler?!
As an actor musician he can't wait to get cracking on the delights in store for you all! He has recently worked with Chequer Mead Theatre playing Prince Frederick in ‘Snow White’ and Heartbreak Productions on their outdoor tour of ‘Jane Eyre’ as Edward Rochester.
Rory trained in Acting at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he received a BA (Hons) degree, as well as a number of distinction level Stage Combat qualifications. He would like to thank everyone involved in making this production possible and is very excited to see what the season holds.
ALEXANDRA CLARE
Phyllis
Alexandra is a London – based actor. She began her training at Drama Centre London on the Foundation Course and completed the BA Acting course at Mountview in 2022. Alongside this, she is an accomplished saxophonist on both the Alto and Soprano Saxophone, the Clarinet, Piano and Voice as well as having trained to an intermediate level in Puppetry at the Little Angel Theatre.
She has also been a member of the National Youth Theatre since 2019. Her recent credits include playing Helena / Titania / Flute and others in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and Benjamin Bunny / Mother Rabbit and others in ‘The Tales of Peter Rabbit’ (Quantum Theatre UK Tour) and #11’ in ‘The Wolves’ (The Space Theatre) to which she is one of the founders and producers of the theatre company; Orange Peel Productions.
As well as this, she has recently filmed a couple of Short Films and has toured to Belgium / France with Wind Up Penguin Theatre Company, devising music and drama shows to take around the world, performing to refugee children. She is very excited to be joining the Tethered Wits team this Summer!
JOE KEENAN
Peter / Mr Szczepansky
Joe Keenan recently completed their master’s degree in Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music, where they played the role of Frank in ‘Merrily We Roll Along’. During their time at the Academy they worked with Bruce Guthrie, Chrissie Cartwright, Matt Ryan, Josh Roche, and Eleanor Rhode. Credits include Stephen ‘Sondheim’s Old Friends – A Celebration’ (Sondheim Theatre), ‘Maria Friedman & Friends’: ‘Legacy’ (Menier Chocolate Factory), and ‘Treason: The Musical’ (workshop).
Credits while training include Frank in ‘Merrily We Roll Along’, ‘Hello, Jerry!’ A Celebration of Herman’, Howard in William Inge’s ‘Picnic’, and Tristan Bernays’ ‘The Day the Sea Caught Fire’.
Prior to musical theatre, Joe worked as a professional cellist, having studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In addition to the cello, Joe plays the piano and saxophone.
OLIVIA WARREN
Roberta / Mother
Olivia is an actor musician and voiceover artist who trained at Rose Bruford College, graduating in 2017. She has worked in an eclectic mix of projects ranging from musicals and children’s theatre, to short films and virtual reality experiences.
Recent credits include English Dubbing for Netflix (‘Sister Death’, ‘Ehrengard’ and ‘Spirit Rangers’ Season 2 and 3), ‘Peter Pan’ at Hall for Cornwall, ‘La Maupin’ (Best New Musical winner at the Off West End Awards), The Cat in Goblin Theatre's ‘Hey Diddle Diddle!’ (UK tour), Skylar White in ‘Faking Bad’, Molly Hardwick in ‘Theatre 6’s Estella’ (UK tour) and as a soloist for The Classical Roadshow’s ‘Battle of Britain’ with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a voiceover artist, Olivia has worked with many companies including CBBC, Penguin, Audible and Legoland.
Olivia is also a writer, co-writing the short film 'Hard as Nails' which won 'Jury's Prize' at the Wales International Film Festival and was selected for the BFI Future Film Festival. She is currently working on a one person comedy play called ‘Eaten Mess’, which has received R+D support from CLF Art Cafe and Theatr Clwyd.
Lynne Lawrence
Adaptor & Director
Lynne (BA Hons English Literature) was Director of Drama at Dean Close School, Cheltenham and LAMDA teacher for 20 years. Directing credits include; ‘Our Town’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Private Peaceful’, ‘The Tempest’, ‘The Wind in the Willows’, ‘Aladdin’, ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ‘Annie’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Dahl’s Diabolical Dramatic Dilemmas’, ‘Oliver!’, ‘Honk!’, ‘Archie Dobson’s War’, ‘Godspell’, ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’, ‘Bugsy Malone’, ‘Imaginary’, ‘Shakespeare on Trial’. Adapting credits include; ‘Elephant in the Garden’ and now ‘The Railway Children’ for Tethered Wits Theatre Company.
AMY PORTER
Co-Director
Amy founded Tethered Wits Theatre Company with Gabriella Sills in 2019. She currently works for the Royal Opera House as a Create and Sing Artist and is a member of the Glyndebourne Academy. Amy is about to commence her MA in Vocal Studies at The Royal Academy of Music (2024-2026). She is a director and performer, with a keen interest in both theatre and music. Directing credits include; ‘Matilda the Musical’, ‘The Lord of the Flies’, ‘Pygmalion’, ‘Blithe Spirit’, and ‘Uncle Vanya.’ Amy has performed in venues such as: The Royal Albert Hall, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Bremen Cathedral, the Gala Theatre, the Bacon Theatre, and The Playhouse Theatre, Cheltenham. She has sung with choirs such as the award-winning chamber choir Tenebrae in Perth, Scotland, and Bremen, Germany, under the direction of Nigel Short. She is delighted to be directing ‘The Railway Children’ for Tethered Wits this year and adores working with such a fantastic group of actors!
GABRIELLA SILLS
Producer
Gabriella is Producer and Director of Gabriella Sills Productions, focusing on new writing in the Off West End, and Tethered Wits, an open-air touring company. She also currently works for Fiery Angel, an award winning international production company based in London’s West End, as their Stage One Trainee Producer. Credits as a Producer - ‘Breeding’ (King’s Head Theatre, produced with Seabright Live in association with Mark Gatiss); ‘Agatha’ (Theatre503); ‘Blackout’ (Theatre503, Old Joint Stock); ‘Bits ‘N’ Pieces’ (Best Production at the Scottish Theatre Awards, Leith Arches); ’1902’ (Off West End Award Winner, UK Tour); ’The Great Gatsby’ (OffComm Off West End Award Commendation, UK Open-air Tour); Doctor Dolittle (UK Open-air Tour); Choose Your Fighter (Leicester Curve Studios); MANikin (Nominated Best Production at the Scottish Theatre Awards, Leith Arches). As Associate Producer – Starry (London Workshop, The Other Palace).
Instagram: @gabriellasillsproductions Twitter: @GS_Prods
DEAKIN VANLEEUWEN
Composer and Musical Director
Deakin graduated as an actor from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and has since performed in a range of theatrical productions including ‘Robin Hood’ (Applecart Arts), ‘The Great Gatsby’ / ‘Dr Dolittle’ (Tethered Wits), ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (Young Shakespeare Company), and ‘Much Ado About Murder’ / ‘Twelfth Night’ (Heartbreak Productions). Deakin is a multi-instrumentalist, playing the piano, guitar, trombone, and is currently fine tuning his harmonica skills. He is also a composer, and has performed his own songs for Anthroplay Theatre’s ‘Femme’ Night, and is currently writing a musical. These are the first full shows Deakin has written for and he is thrilled to be on board to help tell these fantastic stories.
ANDY MATHIESON
Technical Director
Andy loves building things for theatre shows, being a regular Technical Director with Rollers Theatre Company and Lighting Designer and Producer with Richmond Shakespeare Society. Occasionally during office hours he even gets time to work as a Chartered Mechanical Engineer. Recent credits include Producer, ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ (RSS, Twickenham, July 2024); Technical Director, ‘Made In Dagenham’ (RTC, Bridewell Theatre, 2023); Production Team Lead, ‘Julius Ceasar’ (RSS, Twickenham 2022); Technical Director, ‘9 To 5 The Dolly Parton Musical’ (RTC, Cockpit Theatre, 2022); ‘Ben Hur’ (RSS, Mary Wallace Theatre 2022). After very much enjoying ‘The Great Gatsby’ last year, Andy is excited to have been asked to join Tethered Wits in support of this year's productions.
Lynne Lawrence
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
The task of adapting Edith Nesbit’s classic children’s novel was a daunting prospect. Children’s fiction has developed enormously since ‘The Railway Children’ was published in 1907. How might tech-savvy children react to the notion of tea with bread, butter and jam? The formal addressing of ‘Father’ and ‘Mother’? Long-abandoned language (Peter compliments Mr Perks – “You are a brick”)? Also, the notion of spending hours at a railway station, having “ripping fun” waving to trains as a leisure activity would perplex nowadays, apart from the most ardent train spotters. It is challenging to retell this classic, beloved story so eloquently portrayed in not one, but two, film versions, and to be restricted to conveying the original’s storyline to just 60 minutes, without (hopefully) compromising the essence of the novel.
My initial reaction to the adaptation was to reinvent the language of the original, to give the characters contemporary speech and colloquialisms which today’s audiences would identify with. However, having re-read the novel twice (my first reading of it was decades ago as a 10-year-old), I came to understand that the Edwardian idiom simply could not be altered. To do so would be to water it down and diminish its colour and charm. It is the very essence of the characters, their situation and their history. As my script developed, so did my admiration for what I originally thought of as a slightly twee ‘Read with Mother, Enid Blyton fable’. There are important issues and themes which progress the story and develop the characters, which are as poignant and relevant today as they were a century ago. Writing at a time when children were seen and not heard, Nesbit chose to go against this grain and put the three Waterbury children at the heart of the story: the protagonists who learn through adversity. Not only that, they are instrumental in changing the preconceptions of the adults they meet in their railway adventures. There are many lessons to be learned through their encounters, not least with a Russian political defector. The story centres around journeys: physical train journeys, but also all the characters’ emotional and spiritual journeys. And the hope is that the message of compassion, friendship, understanding and family in its widest sense is communicated by us as actor-storytellers, and appreciated by you.
So, while reclining in your picnic chairs, munching strawberries, please join Roberta (Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis on the journey of their childhood through Edwardian England, where they meet en route the Russian dissident writer Mr Szczepansky, the irascible but loveable Mr Perks, the mysterious kindly Old Gentleman, their resolute and loving Mother and Father, and help us wave to the all-important Green Dragon 9.15 train on its way to and from London. Have a fun journey.