THE CLUB STORY ON STAGE
The Market Deeping
Model Railway Club
A play by William Ivory, inspired by the damage to the club’s 2019 exhibition and the extraordinary support that followed.
Amberdale · one of the real club layouts. Photograph by Paul Bason.
FROM A DIFFICULT MORNING TO A NEW PLAY
A story about rebuilding.
In May 2019, models and layouts assembled for the club’s annual exhibition in Stamford were damaged by vandals. The show had to be cancelled, and years of painstaking work were lost or broken.
What followed was an outpouring of support. Donations and offers of help reached the club as news spread beyond the model railway community. The response became an important part of the story, alongside the damage itself.
William Ivory developed the play in consultation with club members. His comedy explores friendship, community and the place that miniature railways can hold in people’s lives.
Inspired by life.
Reimagined for the stage.
The play draws on real events, but its characters, names and parts of the story are fictionalised. It is a drama inspired by the club, not a documentary account.
WORLD PREMIERE · 2026
The original production.
WRITER
William Ivory
DIRECTOR
Adam Penford
VENUE
Nottingham Playhouse
DATES
Monday 6 to Saturday 25 July 2026
RUNNING TIME
2 hours 20 minutes
AGE GUIDANCE
14+
This production has finished. These details describe the original Nottingham Playhouse run.
Sharing practical skills in the clubroom.
THE REAL CLUB BEHIND THE NAME
More than a story
on a stage.
Away from the theatre, the club continues to meet in Essendine. Members build and operate layouts, exchange ideas and share their enjoyment of railway modelling.
You do not need to have seen the play to discover the hobby. Visitors and new members are welcome; contact the club before travelling to arrange a visit.
DISCOVER MORE
Beyond the curtain.
Read more about the production through Nottingham Playhouse’s own archive and programme collection.
On stage and behind the scenes.
Explore the cast, creative team, production photographs and videos on Nottingham Playhouse’s production page.
Keep exploring the story.
Find The Market Deeping Model Railway Club in Nottingham Playhouse’s digital programme collection and open the programme PDF.
THE REAL CLUB. A WARM WELCOME.
The story continues.
Come and be part of it.
Interested in the people and miniature worlds behind the name? Discover the club, explore our layouts and get in touch about a first visit.