What's On

It's 1944, and as life in Britain's cities becomes increasingly perilous, three evacuee children, Lily (Beau Gadsdon), Pattie (Eden Hamilton) and Ted (Zac Cudby) Watts, are sent to the Yorkshire village of Oakworth by their mother. There to meet them on the train station platform are Bobbie Waterbury (Jenny Agutter, reprising her iconic role in the original film), her daughter, Annie (Sheridan Smith), and grandson Thomas (Austin Haynes). With their help, the evacuees are soon settling into their new life in the countryside.

When the children discover injured American soldier Abe (KJ Aikens) hiding out in the railyard at Oakworth Station, they are thrust into a dangerous quest to assist their new friend who, like them, is a long way from home.

Taking the sun-drenched summertime spirit of the original film, this new adventure seeks to add several contemporary values to the derring-do of the first. Gender roles, new-found families and the brutality of entrenched racism are all woven into the narrative, adding to the community spirit and 'standing up for what's right' messages featured in the original. Strong performances throughout from adults and children alike (Tom Courtenay makes a welcome appearance) and a keen eye for rural lifestyles in 1940s wartime Britain all contribute to this welcome return visit to Yorkshire's most famous station.

Information published by Leisure and Culture Dundee.