EDITH Nesbit’s ever popular story, The Railway Children, will be entertaining audiences at The Coach House Theatre, Malvern this Christmas.

Taking the stage for the heart-tugging classic, set at the turn of the last century, at the height of Edwardian England, will be The Malvern Theatre Players .

Made famous by the iconic movie starring Jenny Agutter and Bernard Cribbins, this much-loved tale concerns an Edwardian family who move from London to “The Three Chimneys”, a house near the railway in Yorkshire.

A spokesman said: “After their father, who works at the Foreign Office, is falsely accused of spying, and imprisoned, the family is left in disgrace and poverty, and the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are turned upside down.

“Forced to leave the comforts of their privileged London life in exchange for a simple existence in the depths of the countryside, the family soon discover new friendships and an unexpected secret that will change their lives forever.”

The children become familiar with the passing trains, while their mother struggles to make ends meet.

The family takes care of a Russian exile, Mr. Szczepansky, who came to England looking for his family, and Jim, a schoolboy, who suffers a broken leg in the railway tunnel.

The children’s newest friend, an ‘Old Gentleman’ who regularly takes the 9.15am near their home, is eventually able to help prove their father’s innocence, and the family is reunited.

Which provided an unforgettable happy ending that festive audiences might expect.

The Railway Children, directed by Jan Greig, will be performed at The Coach House Theatre, Grange Road, Malvern. Evening performances are at 7pm on December 15, and from December 18 to December 21 and from December 27 to December 29.

Matinees are 2.30 pm on December 15 and December 16 and on December 29 and December 30.

Tickets are available from from Malvern Theatres box office: boxoffice@malvern-theatres.co.uk and 01684 892277.