Broken Legs Blog

“One of the funniest plays of the year”

Set in the Lincolnshire market town, “The Market Deeping Model Railway Club” tells the true story of a group of modellers who have their entry for a competition vandalised by local youths. The play, written by William Ivory and directed by Adam Penford, has been heavily influenced by the real-life MDMRC, but the characters are all original creations – and it is in these characters that the play truly excels. Each of the modellers have their own story to tell, their own insecurities to deal with, and their own point of view which they never shy away from expressing. The humour on display is at times outrageous, but never over-the-top – it is all superbly naturalistic, with moments that are realised so perfectly that one cannot help but break into fits of laughter. This is not a play that pokes fun at people with a hobby that could be seen by some to be a bit geeky or eccentric – instead it celebrates the hobby with a fascinating cast of characters that are brought together by their unique shared interest.

We meet the MDMRC as they are riding high from a recent win, making them model railway champions two years in a row, and gearing up for the stuff of dreams – a hat-trick. These are a likeable group of old boys, and whilst their conversations are mostly amicable discussions over the pros and cons of 009 gauge modelling, and how best to integrate sound cards into their displays, there is tension bubbling beneath the surface. Deka Walmsley’s Ken is unsure about using new technology in the display, and James Bradshaw’s Neil continually clashes with Matt Bardock’s Chris over politics, the latter being a staunch Brexit voter. Health issues also add to the drama – Geoffrey Beevers’ George is recovering from pneumonia, but still insists on regularly attending the club, whilst Paul Bradley’s Jerry finds modelling ever more challenging as the arthritis in his hands grows worse. But, men being men, these issues are often swept under the rug, never openly discussed or quickly shrugged off before conversations turn back to trains. This is the joy of Ivory’s script, perfectly capturing the sense of unease without having to explicitly mention it – the fact that the health worries are constantly playing on George and Jerry’s minds is ever present in Beevers and Bradley’s performances as well. No matter how zany the comedy gets, their fears over their own mortality remain buzzing around in the background.

But fear not, it is not all doom and gloom. The comedy here is second-to-none, with moments that are sure to have you erupting with laughter. This is not slapstick, but rather comedy that is purely built around the characters and the sharp observations of what it is to be incredibly invested in a trivial hobby such as modelling. From George’s reminiscences over his wedding night (he talks at length about the signal box that his hotel overlooked, but never mentions his wife) to Jerry’s sweary outbursts when his modelling doesn’t go to plan, there is hardly a dull moment in this quiet, mouldy room above a pub. When one of the characters arrives having accidentally taken drugs, the comedy is turned up a notch, resulting in the immortal line “we don’t do ecstasy on club night”, yet the humour comes from the reactions of the other characters, never spilling over into melodrama or simple pantomime. It is far subtler than that.

The fact that the vandalism that the club has become internationally renowned for doesn’t happen until the end of act one just goes to show how much this play relies on the carefully constructed character relationships. Great focus is given to chairman Graham (Adrian Scarborough) and his wife Linda (Lucy Briers), who have grown distant as Graham puts all his efforts into running the group and maintaining his own models. Both Scarborough and Briers are on top form, Scarborough giving us a man whose passionate explosions of anger are joys to watch; we often empathise with his frustration. Linda finds herself dragged in to the furious debates within the club, but insists that she is not a modeller herself, leaving Graham to insist that they need to branch out, find some new blood and bring the joy of modelling to younger generations. Enter Babatunde Aléshé as newbie Jordan, a university student who finds himself quickly welcomed into the group, leading to an excellent clash of backgrounds that helps to enrich this story even further. Jordan quickly strikes up a friendship with Walmsley’s Ken, although unfortunately Aléshé is introduced a bit too far into Act One to allow for proper exploration of this aspect – a quick time jump sees us suddenly on the day before the competition, with friendships firmly formed.

Soutra Gilmour’s set design is full of small details, as one would expect for a play about model railways, with model trains zipping about all over the place. The play mostly takes place in the MDMRC’s regular meeting spot above a local pub, but parts of the set revolve or pull out to bring to life other locations – Graham’s attic or the school gym where the modelling competition takes place. After a serious bout of vandalism, with some rowdy youths played by local actors, we are treated to Jon Driscoll’s projections which show pictures of the real-life devastation, which is truly shocking, especially after we have just spent 90 minutes seeing the time and effort that has gone into creating the models. Each scene transition is accompanied by loud, raucous music (sound design from Alexandra Faye Braithwaite) that is seemingly at odds with the characters, but adds to the excitement with which each of these characters approach their hobby. These transitions get the blood pumping, and it is easy to see why Graham says he can never get to sleep after a club night.

There are undoubtedly some serious messages here about immigration and British values, whilst Walmsley delivers an incredibly moving monologue in Act Two that helps to hammer home why clubs such as the MDMRC are such a vital part of society. Yet it is the comedy the makes this play truly shine – this is one of the funniest plays of the year, with a cast that know how to wring every last laugh from every joyous moment. As Ken reveals his own personal model, based on Woodcroft Station, there are ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the audience, demonstrating just how invested we have all become. And after the curtain call, the Woodcroft model is again brought onto the stage for audience members to appreciate close-up. Because at the end of the day, that is the joy of this play. Appreciating and celebrating these very talented modellers.

Tom Morley, July 2026

For more information on how I decide on star ratings, see here: Star ratings – Broken Legs Blog

Review Round-up:

Elemental Theatre: The Market Deeping Model Railway Club – 5* from Elemental Theatre, with reviewer Thomas Levi calling this “a deeply funny, quietly profound celebration of friendship, purpose and community”

Theatre & Tonic: The Market Deeping Model Railway Club – Also 5* from Roby at T&T, who says “the details throughout are remarkable – from the clever train jokes to the background music from the pub downstairs to the inclusion of the real Woodcroft model railway that was brought out at the end of the show”

JackStage: The Market Deeping Model Railway Club – Only 2* from JackStage, who accuses the show of delivering “a tired message of aged men’s importance”, calling the play “anti-woke” and saying “the importance of aged, white men is not something that audiences need a reminder of”