About Paperback Theatre…
Paperback Theatre is a West Midlands-based company passionate about telling the stories that matter. Their work is playful, challenging, and created for as wide an audience as possible.
Formed in 2016, they first made their mark with satirical shows such as We Need to Talk About Bobby (off EastEnders) and Me and My Doll (a rom-com for our times), which toured fringe venues nationally to great acclaim.
In the summer of 2020, they created their own socially distanced open-air festival, Little but LIVE!, and produced their first outdoor theatre show. That’s where their passion for family-friendly, accessible work really took shape – performances designed for everyone to enjoy, staged in non-traditional spaces like local parks.
Since then, they’ve been regularly supported by Arts Council England to develop modern adaptations of much-loved stories with a family focus – most recently in 2025 with The Wizard of Oz. In 2023, they were awarded Inclusive Communities funding to stage an epic community production of The Railway Children in Moseley Park. 2026 sees their first collaboration with Charis McRoberts to create a new tourable version of the same story.
Alongside developing new shows and working closely with their local community, they now tour high-quality outdoor productions across the UK, delighting audiences with their witty, heartfelt, and irresistibly charming productions.
About The Production – The Railway Children
No Wifi. No Xbox. And water from a well?! This summer is definitely ruined!
Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis (Phil to you and me) have been swept off to the remote countryside by their mother, who won’t tell them why!
Left to explore their new home, it’s not long before they feel the pull of the railway at the bottom of the garden. As they follow the tracks to the local station, a whole world opens up for them, full of charming characters, romance, peril and questions that need answering.
What to get Mr. Perks for his birthday when you can’t afford sweets?
Why is the 08.11 always late?
Who is stealing from the coal-yard at nighttime?
And where has father gone, anyway?
Fresh from their 2025 tour of The Wind in the Willows (“fun, funny and utterly charming”) and The Wizard of Oz (“utterly entrancing. A great mix of charm and sophisticated wit”), Paperback Theatre returns to tour the UK with a brand-new adaptation of E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children by Charis McRoberts.
Some audience comments:
“Absolutely brilliant! Love seeing small theatre companies do big things! The kids clearly loved it too!”
“Excellent show. Funny, silly and creative.”
“Brilliant, funny, wholesome and great twists on classics. Exactly what live theatre should be about!”
“A touching and life-affirming retelling of a classic.”
Hot and cold drinks and ice creams will be on sale before the show.
The car park will not open until 1.45pm.
Sorry, no picnics or dogs (except assistance dogs).
Paperback Theatre have a Website 
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