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Glyndebourne to World Premiere ‘The Railway Children’

By David Salazar

Glyndebourne is set to present the world premiere of “The Railway Children” this fall.

The new opera by composer Mark-Anthony Turnage and librettist Rachael Hewer is based on Edith Nesbit’s novel, which explores the mysterious imprisonment of a child’s father and his mother’s determination to reunite the family.

“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,” said Hewer per an official press release.

The work will be directed by Stephen Langridge and conducted by Tim Anderson, who leads the Glyndebourne Sinfonia and a cast that includes Henna Mun, Rachael Lloyd, Matthew McKinney, Jessica Cale, Gavan Ring, Edward Hawkins, James Cleverton, and Bethany Horak-Hallett.

“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),” added Langridge.

The opera’s premiere will coincide with the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. It is the second world premiere in the company’s 2025 main stage, following “Uprising” last February.

The opera premieres on Oct. 30 with two other performances on Nov. 1, 2025; two performances for local schools on Nov. 4 and Nov. 6; and a performance at Queen Elizabeth Stage on Nov. 8, 2025.

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By David Salazar

Prior to creating OperaWire, DAVID SALAZAR, (Editor-in-Chief) worked as a reporter for Latin Post where he interviewed major opera stars, Oscar nominees, Golden Globe winners and film industry giants.

David holds a Masters in Media Management from Fordham University. During his time at Fordham, he studied abroad at the Jagiellonian University in Poland. He also holds a dual bachelor’s from Hofstra University in Film Production and Journalism.

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