A much-loved children's classic will be brought to life at Dereham Railway Station in what is believed to be the first performance of its kind in the country.

The Railway Children has been put together by the Mid Norfolk Railway and a new local community theatre and will be played out on platform two next spring as a Dereham Festival 2012 Fringe event.

There will be 13 performances of the musical, adapted from the novel by Edith Nesbit, published in 1906.

'I work extensively with children in the performing arts, and I see this as an ideal opportunity to weave the fantasy of theatre into a real location,' Zelda Rolfe, community theatre artistic director, said. 'The publishers believe The Railway Children has never been played before on a preserved railway station. It will be very exciting for everyone to be involved in a premi�re for Dereham.

'The action will take place across the tracks, while the audience sits in comfort under the station canopy. The atmosphere will be terrific. When you think about it, railways, especially heritage railways, are very theatrical places.'

Open auditions will be held at Northgate High School, Dereham, on Sunday, December 4, from 10.30am -4pm. No previous acting or singing experience is needed. Call 01362 696900 to register for an audition.