Vintage virtues, a message for a modern audience, catchy tunes and a happy ending combined to make an enjoyable evening's theatre for all ages on opening night of BMDS' latest production. 'The Railway Children', currently on stage at the Daylesford Theatre, is truly a family event, as the loss of father and family home resonated with the younger members of the audience, while adults could appreciate the mother's quest for justice for her wrongfully-imprisoned husband.

The performance of Izabella Arnold, playing the elder daughter Roberta, stood out against a background of stars shining no less brightly in their smaller roles (and by the way, how delightful it was to see so many unfamiliar faces among the chorus).

While all soloists were not equally strong musically, Jennifer Osmond's Mother was a convincing portrayal of a distraught woman, keeping the worst of the world from her children, while Kelvin Hastings-Smith made an avuncular Station Master Perks open to flattery from the village flirt and Paul Harney's Old Gentleman was suitably benevolent.

Credit director Jenny Burrell for making this reviewer's job difficult: given limited space, I can't mention every praiseworthy cast member by name. Suffice it to say, even the minor characters were filled out and brought to life with careful attention to stage business.

The story of Father's unjust imprisonment and the family's struggle to cope with their more straightened circumstances encompasses an examination of society on a number of levels: rich versus poor, comfortable versus working class, country versus city, local versus immigrant, dreams versus reality and above all, the search for justice.

Despite their sheltered Edwardian upbringing, and obvious preference for urban living, the children, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis, find what they long for in the country: Roberta, adventure and young love; Peter, trains; and Phyllis friends and a life without Cook.

Once they stand up to the village children's taunts about their posh voices and fancy ways, they find themselves increasingly comfortable in their rural setting, despite the lack of servants.

They also find opportunities to make themselves useful: to a Russian writer with a tale of woe as sad as their own and to young Jim who breaks his leg and is nursed back to health by the careful attentions of a maturing Roberta.

The children, in turn, receive assistance from an elderly gentleman, a regular commuter on the train that passes near their cottage.

Needless to say, there are happy endings all round and a triumphant assertion of the power of the individual to effect change. This in an idea that will resonate with contemporary Bermudian audiences, even if the children's acquiescence to Mother's insistence on "No questions" will not.

Running through the plot, connecting the characters and providing an overarching metaphor is the railway and the green dragon engine. The theme is supported by the engaging music and the interesting choreography.

There are clever quips, like one villager's retort when warned off flirting with a married man: "food in the larder doesn't mean you can't read a menu."

Not having access to the book, I'm not sure whether having Father and Russian exile Mr. Szczepansky be played by the same actor, Robbie Godfrey, was the writer's or the director's conceit, but it worked well, underscoring the idea that injustice is not limited by class or national borders.

Given the limitations of the acting space, which are considerable, and the challenges of multiple scene changes, the design allowed a generally effective manipulation of set and props. The entrance to the railway tunnel was suitably creepy and the countryside, with stile, competently rendered, but the city drawing room/country cottage/station platform was less convincing.

While credit must undoubtedly be given to Ms Burrell and producer Jo Shane and her small army of production personnel for the quality of this production, mention must also be made of the efforts of local schools to groom the next generation of actors. Several of the young cast members were first introduced to the theatre in school productions.

While the current production guarantees a delightful evening this week, it also generates confidence in the vitality of Bermuda's theatrical future. The Railway Children runs through until Saturday March 28 at the Daylesford Theatre at 7.30 p.m.