Renowned playwright's "heart-wrenching" and "funny" stage show inspired by Market Deeping Model Railway Club tragedy

Written by three-time BAFTA nominee William Ivory - creator of Made in Dagenham and Common As Muck - the story centres on the devastating vandal attack at the club, and the subsequent media attention this attracted.

The 2019 incident saw model sets representing decades of work smashed and broken – with club members left in tears.

The support that followed gained attention worldwide – with celebrities including singer Rod Stewart and presenter Jeremy Vine both making donations to a crowdfunder. This raised over £100,000 to help the club to rebuild their miniature world – although no amount of money could buy back the years of work that went into building the models.

Speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph, Nottingham-based playwright William Ivory said: “On the surface, the show is a comedy-drama with a brilliant set-design and a banging soundtrack – but what it’s really about is time.

“I had read about the club in the paper, and the director at Nottingham Playhouse rang and asked if I thought there was a play in it. I wasn’t sure at first, but that changed as soon as I met the club members.

"After chatting to them I realised the story is really about the passing of time – and the way hobbies seem to stop time as we get lost in them. It’s about how we remember the past – and how we try to replicate it.”

After visiting the club, William said he was struck by the dedication and passion members had for their craft.

“One member showed me something he’d been working on for 20 years,” he recalled. “He was creating a dining carriage featuring little figures sitting at tables inside – with lunatic levels of detail. I am always interested in the little tricks and trades and arcane rules that people live by.”

The timing of the stage show is poignant for members – as the club celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. It currently has 73 members.

One of the key members is Peter Davies, who was chairman at the time of the vandal attack, and later appeared on BBC’s The One Show with Rod Stewart.

Peter, now vice-chairman, said: “When we heard about the play, we were all in shock - but absolutely delighted someone like William Ivory wanted to tell our story.”

William, gave Peter an early draft of the play to read, which features fictionalised characters.

“It captures the emotional experiences at the time in a way that is both heart-wrenching and funny,” said Peter. “I literally laughed out loud reading it, but it also brought me to tears.”

The Peterborough Telegraph even gets a mention – in a scene where members discuss the attention their story is getting from the press.

"The mental scars of the attack are still with us,” said Peter. “Some members had spent 20-30 years building their models in their spare time. I’m now 77 and simply don’t have the years left to try and rebuild everything that was lost.”

Asked if members are looking forward to seeing the play, he added: “Absolutely. I think there will be a coach load of us going.”

The Market Deeping Model Railway Club, directed by Adam Penford, will play at Nottingham Playhouse from July 6-25. For details, visit the theatre’s website.