GEORGE Costigan, star of Rita, Sue And Bob Too, Calendar Girls and BBC’s Happy Valley, has arrived in York to join rehearsals for York Theatre Royal’s community play, In Fog And Falling Snow.

Costigan will play George Hudson, dubbed The Railway King, in the Theatre Royal, National Railway Museum and Pilot Theatre co-production that will open on June 26 with a cast of more than 200, all of them volunteers, alongside the sole professional.

Directed by Theatre Royal artistic director Damian Cruden, associate director Juliet Forster and Pilot Theatre’s Katie Posner, the show is a considerable undertaking, involving 80 front of house volunteers, 50 costume-making volunteers, 50 choir members, 30 technical volunteers and 30 photographers.

Following in the footsteps of the 2012 York Mystery Plays in the Museum Gardens and 2013’s Blood + Chocolate community play on the city streets, In Fog And Falling Snow tells a pivotal story in the city’s railway history, taking the audience on a journey through the NRM’s collections after hours before being seated in the purpose-built Signal Box Theatre for the second half.

Written by York playwrights Mike Kenny and Bridget Foreman, the opening scene sees Costigan’s railway financier George Hudson and engineer George Stephenson reminiscing about their successes and ideas. Stephenson will be played by Ian Giles, head of film studies at Queen Margaret’s School, Escrick, who appeared in the Theatre Royal community play Two Planks And A Passion as well as the 2012 and 2013 productions.

“It’s the ultimate in team work,” Ian says of his multiple community experiences. “You’re working with 200 like-minded individuals with another 300 or so backstage and the camaraderie between everyone is fantastic.

“The professional infrastructure that comes with the projects is a gift, from the stage design to the professional actors who are cast alongside community members, and I’ve no doubt In Fog and Falling Snow will be just as epic.”

Kane Hutchinson will take the role of Jimmy Gadd, who becomes embroiled in the almost-fantastical scheme of getting rich by buying railway shares. Kane, who is studying for an Extended Diploma at York College, hopes to progress to drama school or university, and In Fog And Falling Snow will be an impressive addition to his CV.

“Considering some of the scenes can feature up to 100 different and wholly unique characters, the show is quite the spectacle,” he says.

“Working with such a wonderful cast, almost entirely composed of members of the community, is a personal highlight for me.”

Jeremy Brown has been cast as Jimmy’s brother Edward, a working-class man who comes into some money, only to gamble it away on railway shares. Although acting in this production, Jeremy intends to study film and television design at university.

Kane and Jeremy’s aspirations to move into the creative arts are shared by co-stars Olivia Ledden, a drama student at York College and Charlotte Wood, a sixth-form Theatre Studies, English Literature, Politics and Dance student at All Saints School.

They will be sharing the part of George Jenkins, a train driver’s daughter, who disguises herself as a boy to work on the railways.

For Olivia, this is the first time she has taken part in a community production, having just moved to York. Charlotte took part in Blood + Chocolate and says of her latest role: “It’s not every day you have to play a boy and a girl and it can be emotionally challenging at times, but I am loving rehearsals.”

Stephanie Wood will play George's mother, Martha Jenkins. She trained at Birmingham School of Acting, but took a long break from the stage to have children and also work as a school administrator.

After many nights of picking up her children from the York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre, Stephanie learned of the chance to be involved in Blood + Chocolate, and she so enjoyed the experience of participating in the sold-out show that she is now doing this summer's play too.

York theatre stalwart Paul Osborne will be among the cast's familiar faces, this time cast as Martha's husband Albert Jenkins. Paul, a trained actor with a past in comedy too, divides his time between acting and working for an environmental charity.

Another York stage regular, Rosy Rowley, will perform alongside George Costigan as George Hudson's wife, Elizabeth. Rosy is a mother to four daughters, all of whom will be joining her in the production, and she is a children’s entertainer and a part-time taxi driver too.

She also brings her outgoing personality to being the ideal volunteer for Childline, going into schools to help children learn about staying safe and being happy.

Rory Mulvihill will add to his list of more than 80 productions - York Theatre Royal community plays among them - by playing Hudson's arch nemesis George Leeman. A solicitor for 30 years and more, Rory is now studying an MA (Theatre) at the University of York.

 

In Fog And Falling Snow will run from June 26 to July 11; box office, 01904 623568 or at the website yorktheatreroyal.co.uk