The third of Nottingham Playhouse's new season by local playwrights is a charming production, written by William Ivory. It focuses on a group of seven men (and one woman) who bond and overcome personal traumas by exhibiting model railways...
The Market Deeping Model Railway Club - Photo by Marc Brenner
It’s not often that a model railway enthusiasts club hits the news but, seven years ago, The Market Deeping Model Railway Club (from the small historic town in Lincolnshire, about 50 miles from Nottingham) did just that. Back in 2019 on the eve of their big annual exhibition (The Stamford Model Railway Show), a group of unruly local youths broke into the building and trashed the place – destroying thousands of pounds of modelling equipment and hours of hobbyists output – for no obvious reason other than that they could.
However, this particular cloud had a silver lining and proved regenerative for the club as, after making national news, there was an outpouring from the public. After making national news they received over £100,000 in public donations and support; £10,000 of which was from pop and rock crooner Rod Stewart, who ended up making TV appearances with them. It also led the club to begin offering opportunities to young people – perhaps like those who broke in that night – within the club and now they are seen as a national beacon of best practice.
The story has now been bought to the stage by Nottingham Playhouse as part of their very Nottingham-centric new season (previously featuring Scenes From a Friendship and Punch!). It’s delicately written by Southwell-born playwright William Ivory whose work often has a local focus (see 2012’s Diary of a Football Nobody and 2018’s ITV drama Torvill & Dean). It’s directed by Nottingham Playhouse Artistic Director Adam Penford, himself a Notts lad and an increasing titan of UK theatre.
The Market Deeping Model Railway Club - Photo by Marc Brenner
The cast are excellent – all accomplished actors who compliment each other very well and each bring an endearing character to life. There are a quite few faces you might recognise too; Graham (played by Adrian Scarborough from TVs Gavin and Stacey), Jerry (played by Paul Bradley from Eastenders), Linda (Lucy Briers from Game On), Neil (James Bradshaw from Endeavour), Jordan (played by actor and comedian Babatunde Aléshé), Chris (Matt Bardock from Casualty), Ken (Deka Walmsley from Billy Elliot) and George (Geoffrey Beevers from Dr Who). Non of these are headline actors or household names, but they are all excellent and accomplished in their own right. Special mention also must go to the set designer Soutra Gilmour and the Projection Designer Jon Driscoll, who have both worked together to turn a much-maligned pastime into a genuine visual feast on stage.
The play doesn’t shy away from the cerebral nature of this hobby, but it shows enough of each character to make them all loveable in different ways; particularly in how, despite their differences, they all bond through a shared passion. It’s feelgood and very-British fun-loving theatre from an excellent cast and crew and by the end you feel this once-seemingly isolated hobby is something you might even want to give a go yourself.
The Market Deeping Model Railway Club is showing at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 25 July 2026.
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