as part of Avanti West Coast‘s Feel Good Field Trips The plan was for Year 12 students from St John Henry Newman College to travel to Glasgow to explore the King’s Theatre.

The railway operator has teamed up with theater and production company Fiery Angel to give students the opportunity to see all aspects of staging a play.

An exciting and educational program included a tour of the theater and opportunities to learn about stage management, costumes, sound and lighting from some of the Fiery Angel production team.

Students also met with the actors of a new production at the King’s Theatre. Murder on the Orient Express!

Actor Michael Maloney, who played the role of Hercule Poirot in the production, chatted with the students along with actors Simon Cotton, Christine Kavanagh and Beth Tuckey and gave them ideas about staging a play.

The lucky students then watched a matinee performance of this stage version of Agatha Christie’s famous railway novel.

Avanti West Coast has teamed up with King’s Theatre’s Creative Learning Team and Fiery Angel to organize this unique field trip combining rail travel and live theatre.

This is just one of the initiatives of Avanti West Coast’s Feel Good Field Trips programme, which helps young people aged four to 18 seize opportunities that would not normally be available to them.

The program brings together a range of activities, from poetry and art workshops to curry-themed cooking days and Lake District adventures. up to 5,000 children.

Feel Good Field Trips take place all over the Avanti West Coast network, from Liverpool to London, Manchester and Coventry, with train travel included in the package.

Avanti West Coast helped St John Henry Newman College students travel from Carlisle to Glasgow Central on a less lethal express than the one seen on stage!

Production by Fiery Angel Murder on the Orient Express Now it’s gone like steam from Glasgow but Will tour the UK until Spring 2025.

“We loved working with the teams from The King’s and Murder on The Orient Express to bring railways and art together for this one-off learning opportunity. “It was great to offer something unique and relevant to students’ interests, and we hope that this experience will not only stay with them for the rest of their lives, but also inspire them to pursue their passions.”

Joanna Buckley, Avanti West Coast Community Manager