Glyndebourne presents the world premiere of
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s The Railway Children
Thursday 30 October, 4pm – Glyndebourne
Saturday 1 November, 2pm & 7pm – Glyndebourne
Saturday 8 November, 6:30pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
As part of its Autumn Season, Glyndebourne presents the world premiere of The Railway Children, a collaboration between composer Mark-Anthony Turnage and librettist Rachael Hewer, based on Edith Nesbit’s classic novel.
The new opera coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, celebrating the connection of communities and ideas across the nation and beyond, and the significant history of this impactful innovation.
The Railway Children – conceived by Turnage and Hewer during the lockdowns in 2020 - explores new perspectives of Nesbit’s story, focusing on the mysterious imprisonment of the children’s father and the determination of the mother to uncover secrets and reunite their family. Expanding on the original book’s theme of espionage, the opera moves from the 1905 Edwardian setting into the Cold War era. Turnage and Hewer put action and drama at the forefront of their contemporary interpretation, in a work that remains true to the socially conscious spirit of Nesbit herself.
The Railway Children is the first operatic collaboration between Turnage and Hewer. With music composed in contrasting styles and moods, including ‘spy music’ influences, Turnage’s score drives the drama set out in Hewer’s inventive and modern libretto.
Glyndebourne’s Artistic Director Stephen Langridge directs the new production, with Tim Anderson conducting the Glyndebourne Sinfonia, the Glyndebourne Chorus and a full cast of new generation talent.
Glyndebourne’s Autumn Season provides a platform for exciting up-and-coming artists in opera. The Railway Children’s cast includes soprano Henna Mun (2024 Jerwood Young Artist) making her principal debut as Phyllis, former Glyndebourne Wessex Award-winner Rachael Lloyd as Cathy, and Kathleen Ferrier Award-winners Matthew McKinney (2024) and Jessica Cale (2020) performing as Peter and Bobbie respectively. Gavan Ring, Edward Hawkins, James Cleverton and Bethany Horak-Hallett also join the cast.
Mark-Anthony Turnage says:
‘When we were in lockdown in 2020, we realised how much we missed the places that mean the most to us; at the top of the list was Glyndebourne. It holds a very special place for Rachael and me, and we have admired the standard and reputation upheld there for a long time.
‘Generating and sustaining dramatic tension was the driving force behind the compositional process for The Railway Children, exploring fantasy and imagination through the orchestral lines while always making sure the text is clear and balanced.
‘This piece has been a long time in the making, from our original sketching in 2020 to the recent workshops with trusted singers that have helped to inform the musical direction and dramatic version of the piece. We look forward to seeing its premiere in October.”
Rachael Hewer says:
‘We have aimed to respect the integrity of the original story, while presenting a version that feels much more realistic in its story-telling – the mother’s role is greatly expanded for instance – it’s about fighting for justice at any cost, rather than being sickly in bed.
‘Our version looks at the impact that discovering the truth about their father’s imprisonment would have had on Bobbie, particularly. So rather than her saying ‘Gosh, wasn’t that difficult? Home for tea and cakes? Instead she’s going ‘I didn’t want to be a hero! What is going on? Why is no-one telling me the truth!?’
‘The imagery, for me, belongs on stage. People would be asking for their money back if the waving of the red flag to stop the train wasn’t in the opera! I think that this is The Railway Children that E Nesbit would have written in 2025.’
Stephen Langridge, Artistic Director of Glyndebourne, says:
‘Mark-Anthony and Rachael came to me with this brilliant idea just after lockdown. It’s a thriller which hurtles from scene to scene but rather than the Edwardian setting of the original novel, we are in the Cold War: more George Smiley than Doctor Zhivago. Presenting The Railway Children in our Autumn Season and at the Southbank Centre feels a perfect fit, with young artists in a new work, open and accessible to new audiences (including several thousand children coming to the schools’ performances at Glyndebourne).
‘Rachael is best known at Glyndebourne as a director with a sure-fire dramatic instinct, which is much in evidence in her gripping libretto for The Railway Children. This is the first time I have directed one of Mark-Anthony's operas, although we worked together on many creative education projects in prisons, and, for Glyndebourne, a co-created piece with people on probation. It is very exciting to be working together again now on this heart-warming story, so soon after the outstanding success of his opera, Festen at RBO.’
The Railway Children is Glyndebourne’s second world premiere on Glyndebourne’s main stage in 2025 – after Jonathan Dove’s Uprising was premiered in February – and is presented as part of the opera house’s Autumn Season, a programme of opera, concerts and recitals that shine a spotlight on emerging talent and provide affordable access to exceptional opera and music.
The Railway Children premieres on Thursday 30 October, with two further performances on Saturday 01 November. Glyndebourne will also host two performances of The Railway Children for local schools on Tuesday 4 November and Thursday 6 November. The opera will then be presented as a staged concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the Southbank Centre on Saturday 8 November.