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Bringing to life Jacqueline Wilson’s modern classic, The Primrose Railway Children is a perfect excuse for families to get cosy and enjoy the best of homegrown storytelling together over the festive period.

Adapted by Tom Bidwell (The Velveteen Rabbit, The Irregulars) the feature-length family drama follows the story of Phoebe, her older sister Becks, older brother Perry, and their mum who are living a comfortable life in Glasgow. When their dad mysteriously disappears, the Robinsons family are uprooted from their lives and find unexpected excitement, adventure, and a new sense of belonging.

The Primrose Railway Children is on CÂ鶹Éç and Â鶹Éç iPlayer from Sunday 1 December, and will be shown on Â鶹Éç One over the Christmas period.

Kevin McKidd (Greys Anatomy, Trainspotting) plays the father ‘Rob Robinson’ alongside Nina Toussaint-White (Bodyguard, Witness Number 3) who stars as his wife ‘Sarah Robinson’. The three children will be played by an exciting trio of emerging British talent including Ava McCarthy as ‘Phoebe’, Ida Brooke as ‘Becks’ and Tylan Bailey as ‘Perry’.

The Primrose Railway Children is made by Â鶹Éç Studios Kids & Family Productions with Tali Walters as Creative Lead, Alison Davis as Executive Producer, and John McKay as producer. The feature has been adapted for screen by Tom Bidwell and will be directed by Julian Kemp. International distribution is being handled by Â鶹Éç Studios. It was commissioned by Patricia Hidalgo and Sarah Muller with Anita Burgess as commissioning executive for CÂ鶹Éç 7+ audience and family audience space.

• Watch The Primrose Railway Children on Â鶹Éç iPlayer and CÂ鶹Éç on Sunday 1 December

EG

Meet the Cast

Kevin McKidd (Rob Robinson)

Tell us about your character, Rob Robinson, and what attracted you to the role?

He is a goofy and fun-loving dad who works as an animator. He embodies a sense of adventure and resilience. Reading Tom’s brilliant script was a real joy as it captures the spirit and emotion of the original The Railway Children, a film that I loved as a child.               

Was there anything that jumped out when you read the script?

The Primrose Railway Children is a gorgeous, heartwarming story that captured my attention and heart from the start. I love the relationships that my character has with his children, especially Phoebe. They have a special bond that reinforces the idea that love and friendship can triumph even in difficult times. Plus, it’s also nice to actually have something I can sit down with my family at Christmas and let them see what Dad does for a living!

What was it like filming the drama in Scotland?

It was an absolute pleasure to film the drama back in Scotland. We were lucky enough to shoot in some fantastic locations in the Highlands, showcasing the region's beauty and some of its wet weather! Filming there also helped to create a sense of isolation that was pivotal to the storyline and how the children felt being uprooted from their home in Glasgow. Scotland’s crews are some of the best in the world, they’re so highly skilled so it’s great to see more and more productions coming to Scotland and setting up camp here.

I also cut my teeth in Scotland as an actor doing Trainspotting and Small Faces, so it really does feel like a coming home for me. I do tend to get quite homesick when I’m filming in Los Angeles for nine months of the year, so I jump at the opportunity to go back. Scotland is home in every sense, plus it’s such a versatile location to film, with such stunning backdrops – it certainly deserves all the credit.

What do you hope audiences will take away from the show when they watch it?

I hope when audiences see this, they will be left with a sense of warmth, reflection, and adventure. The Robinson family goes through its challenges, like every family has to at some point, but ultimately, it’s all about healing, coming back together and finding a place to belong. I absolutely love the idea of families getting together at Christmas time and getting stuck into some good telly – and this is the perfect family viewing for this season.

What was it like working with the cast of young actors who play your children in the drama?

It was an absolute pleasure working with such a bunch of talented young actors. They had bags of enthusiasm and energy during filming. It was lovely to see them develop and grow on set. They all truly did such a great job.

Nina Toussaint-White (Sarah Robinson)

You play Sarah Robinson in the drama. Tell us a little bit more about your character.

Sarah is a strong, hard-working mother who will go to the ends of the earth to protect her children. In the film, we see her carry the world on her shoulders as she scrambles to hold everything together in a bid to protect her kids from finding out the truth about their father’s absence and breaking their hearts. 

I absolutely loved playing Sarah. Throughout the film, you’re taking on a real emotional rollercoaster as we learn the truth about Rob’s disappearance through Sarah’s eyes. She represents the heart of the film which of course was a true blessing to play.

Sarah comes across as quite a strict parent. What’s her relationship like with her children?

This one’s a strange one. One of the things our director had mentioned in my audition was his concern that Sarah’s character may come across as too strict. He thought the script painted her with quite a snappy and harsh persona and was worried any warmth to her might be lost. I actually completely disagreed. When reading the script for the first time, not once did I find her to be too strict - instead, I found that Sarah’s words spoke a truth to the reality of parenthood. There are many sides to being a parent and for me Sarah depicts them perfectly - warts and all. As a mother myself, I recognised the ups and downs of raising young children. The never-ending battles to get clothes on and get out of the house on time; the endless bargaining to get the food eaten and teeth brushed; the back and forth as you attempt to get your child to sleep for the eighth time that night. Being a parent isn’t easy and for Sarah, not only is she a mother, but she’s also the financial provider and is left to carry the burden of her husband’s mistakes. I believe she is firm throughout a lot of the story but, as for most parents, her firmness comes from a place of love.

I do however think her relationship with her children, especially Phoebe's, is slightly fractured. Her husband Rob, works very little so he can focus on his passion project and put together animation samples for an upcoming pitch. This has meant that Sarah has had to work extra hours to cover the weight and demand of keeping the household afloat which has left little room for quality family time and connection with her kids.

Have you had a favourite scene or moment during filming?

One of my favourite scenes in the film is where Sarah and Phoebe reconnect. After years of Sarah working extra hours and not being as fully present at home as she had wanted to be, a distance had grown between the two. In this scene, we see such a soft vulnerability from both characters as they open up to each other. I actually cried when reading this part of the script. It brought up a lot of insecurities I have myself as a working mum who has to travel with work and leave my daughter behind. It broke my heart reading how Phoebe had been living with the idea that her mum loved her less than her siblings. I guess reading and playing this beautiful scene of reconnection really resonated with me as it ignited a lot of my own hopes, dreams, and fears of what my future relationship with my ever growing, ever changing little girl might be.

What was it like working alongside the young cast who play your children? 

The kids were amazing. They were filled with so much energy and there was never a dull moment on set. They were always upbeat and smiling, despite some terrible weather we faced during filming! I don’t think I ever heard one of them complain. It was amazing to see how easily everyone connected and got on. Ada and Tylan were a true double act with Ida, in true big sister style, constantly having to reign them in!

Ava McCarthy (Phoebe Robinson)

Tell us a little bit about your character, Phoebe

Phoebe is an energetic adventurous child who has a unique personality. She likes to dance and explore and is always trying to get into other people’s business. 

Your character Phoebe has a very active imagination. Are you anything like her in real life?

OMG yes. Loads like her. It was actually quite crazy, when I first read the script for the role to audition the first thing my parents said was, she sounded just like me. So, it felt quite natural playing her. 

What was it like filming the series?

I had a wonderful time filming it and made loads of great friends. It was like having one big family. It was almost like we were actually a real family. Which was nice as I missed my dad and sister at times. Oh yeh. Scotland is amazing… but cold lol. 

Phoebe has a very close relationship with her dad played by Kevin McKidd. Did you enjoy working with Kevin on the drama and was it fun?

Oh of course it was great working with Kevin. Again myself and Phoebe are very similar as I am also very close with my dad in real life. Kevin is a very happy and kind man and I enjoyed the dancing scenes we did.

Ida Brooke (Becks Robinson)

How did you feel when you got the role of Becks?

It all happened extremely fast and when I got the news that I got the part, I don’t think I had the time to feel grateful, I was kind of just in shock. I think the moment it set in was when I got given the full script. I remember reading the entirety of it in one sitting on my living room floor. By the end, I literally started crying. It was so beautifully written and there’s a very iconic line that Phoebe says to her Dad at the end of the film and I think that’s when it hit me, and I just felt overwhelmed with gratitude.

Did you get on well with the other cast members?

Of course, I have so much love for Tylan and Ava - they’re both so talented and cute.  Working with them is so easy and natural. But I think their sense of humour is what really stood out, I felt like I was just constantly giggling because of them, even when I was trying to be serious.

I’m so grateful to Nina, she’s so wise and we would often travel and sit together. I’m so appreciative of those chats because she gave me such valuable advice about the industry and just life in general. Whilst I was in Scotland for over a month, I didn’t have my parents with me and I was constantly scared of messing something up. But Nina felt like a constant stream of advice. And I feel like offscreen she felt like a mother figure as well. And Kevin just feels like a proper dad, he’s got this homely comfort to him and he’s very down-to-earth so I think Tylan and Ava would agree, working with Kevin was so easy. But I think my conclusion is that Scottish people are just lovely!

What is your most memorable moment on set?

There were seriously too many to select one. But I think any scene that took place in the car for some reason. To film the scenes, we actually have to stay in a car for hours whether it’s on location or in a studio. And I don’t know how to explain it but it created the environment of being on an actual family road trip. The three of us were always singing.

And I remember one day on set we were trying to get this really cool shot where the camera looks like it’s going through the back of the car and out through the front window, highlighting the beautiful Scottish countryside. But with Tylan and Ava sometimes it felt like a competition of who could make me laugh first. I started to hear giggling in the backseat. And then it set me off and from then on, every time we filmed, I couldn’t stop giggling. It got so bad to the point I had to cover my mouth and nose!

What an viewers expect to take away from The Primrose Railway Children?

I know it sounds so cliche, but I think viewers can expect to laugh and cry. The film feels so moving. It’s so well-rounded, visually it’s beautiful and you can thank our director and DOP Julian and Laura for that. It’s a story about maturing and realising how to put your loved one’s needs in front of yours. It’s about being accepted and accepting a new culture. And obviously, there are lots of trains!

Tylan Bailey (Perry Robinson)

Why do you think Perry loves the Primrose Railway so much?

Perry loves trains and wants to learn as much as he can about them which is why he goes to the station. 

Did you enjoy filming in Scotland?

Yes, I loved filming in Scotland, it is a very beautiful country. Even though it was summer there was a few days where it was a bit cold. 

What was it like working with Kevin and Nina? Did they give you acting tips?

I really enjoyed working alongside Kevin and Nina. They were both really nice and fun to film with. They didn’t give me any tips as such, but I always learn from other actors whilst working with them.  

Could you give us 3 reasons why viewers should watch The Primrose Railway Children?

It’s something for the whole family to watch together, full of adventure & I’m in it!