The Permanent Way is a play written by celebrated writer and director David Hare, and is a powerful critique of the privatisation of British Rail in 1991.

The script for the play was written and informed from interviews with the families and survivors of train crashes that followed the sale of British Rail, as well as from politicians, police officers and rail workers. It is a play which audiences will find moving, emotional – and also enlightening. Hare’s view was that the transfer into private ownership of the railways was criminal, writing The Permanent Way to make his case. This month, The Permanent Way arrives at Titchfield Festival Theatre, our second play following the reopening of live performances.

Elese Ayres is director of The Permanent Way, her first show directing an adult play having previously worked with youth theatre productions. Elese said, “The Permanent Way takes us on a journey to uncover the truth behind the privatisation of British Rail. Through first hand witnesses, we are able to understand why it occurred and assess the consequences. After privatisation, there were several tragic train accidents, including major incidents at Southall, Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield and Potters Bar that led to a significant loss of life and injury. Hare seeks to make those responsible accountable, whilst also providing a voice for those affected by the disasters.”

The play was originally written to be performed with a 36-strong cast. However, due to space limitations and safe social distancing, Titchfield’s production includes actors playing a multiple number of roles. None of the characters in the play have names; instead, titles such as “Support Group Founder” and “Young Man in Denim” describe each character.

The Permanent Way is a play which will appeal to lovers of theatre and good writing, and ultimately seeks to answer the question: Is there any point in the blame game or was it always written in the stars?

Titchfield Festival Theatre’s production of The Permanent Way opens on Monday May 24 running until Saturday May 29, 2021. Tickets for all performances are now available. Shows start at 7.30pm.

For more information including booking tickets, please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/ or contact our Box Office on 0333 666 3366.

The Permanent Way will also be streamed live on Friday 28 & Saturday 29 May 2021.