Manchester-born Game Of Thrones star John Bradley is also continuing the story of a beloved character from The Railway Children: he plays stationmaster Richard Perks, the grandson of Albert, who was portrayed by Bernard Cribbins in the 1970 film. “My favourite thing about my character was the privilege of updating the Perks’ family lineage, introducing people to a new generation of the Perks family,” Bradley, 33, said. “Being inspired by Bernard’s incredible performance, but feeling licensed to create a new character for myself… It was a balancing act, and slightly intimidating as well, because he’s a character that people have such affection for. But it was just a thrill. I was just very privileged to be involved.”
“For my character, being an American soldier, with the segregation at that time in America, facing racism from his own troops, his white counterparts who are fighting in the same war as him… I definitely knew what was going on with the racism at that time, but diving in and doing that research to get into character, you see more horrors and shocking stories,” says Aikens. “It was a lot, but it was very interesting to learn about and get myself there emotionally.” The cast are quick to praise how The Railway Children Return blends family fun – mud-rolling, farmyard antics and cheeky children galore – with a narrative conflict that works as a fable, a lesson for modern audiences rooted in the past.“Doing the research actually made me really sad, because of what they went through. I couldn’t imagine it,” says Gadsdon of the plight of evacuees.“I think it’s important it gets recognised in the film. It’s not overpowering, it’s also really, really fun, but it’s there, and it shouldn’t be ignored.”
Complimenting the nods to the 1970 original, fans are also sure to be enchanted by The Railway Children Return’s new characters – particularly the bold, brave and often hilarious children.
“I loved Lily, I admire her so much as a character,” says Rogue One star Beau Gadsdon, 15, who plays the girl that Agutter describes as “a new Bobbie”.
“The film’s message is about hope and resilience and family. And I think Lily also carries that with her. She’s so resourceful, with helping Abe, and she really has a strong sense of what’s right and wrong. She really sticks up for what she believes in.” Sticking up for what you believe in and standing by your friends in the face of injustice are the core themes of the film, which explores not only the upheaval experienced by evacuated children in the Second World War, but the effects of the US Army’s racist segregation policies which remained during wartime. KJ Aikens, 18, plays American soldier Abe, whom Lily, Pattie,Ted and Thomas find hunkered down in a train carriage at Oakworth Station railyard with a painful wound. He and his fellow black soldiers have been victims of racism at the hands of white American troops: forbidden from drinking in the same pubs as their white counterparts, punished for mingling with local white women, and treated with disdain by those supposed to be fighting with them.
“That’s the thing about this film, that we made a year ago – since then, it’s become even more pertinent,” says Bradley.
“At various points, we deal with children being evacuated out of a war zone to safety, we deal with racism, and we deal with Bobbie being a suffragette, and the journey that women’s rights have gone on.
“Just lately that’s become even more pertinent, and just makes you think: the world has changed, but maybe it’s not changed quite enough.”
The Railway Children Return is in cinemas from July.
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