KNUTSFORD writers Elizabeth Gaskell and Alison Uttley were the central characters on Thursday in a performance staged on a train and at Manchester Piccadilly.

Elizabeth and Alison, former residents of Knutsford, were the focus of an original piece of community theatre – From Station to Station – which was performed on a train travelling on the Mid-Cheshire Line and at Manchester Piccadilly railway station.

Inspired by Alison Uttley’s novel ‘A Traveller in Time,’ the performance included historical women who have lived in towns connected by the line, which runs from Chester to Manchester.

Knutsford’s cultural legacy was showcased when the specially-commissioned theatrical work was performed on the 11.02am train from Chester to Manchester and at Manchester Piccadilly.

Commuters and guests – including the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Cllr June Hitchin and Knutsford Mayor Cllr Peter Coan - were treated to a 90-minute performance involving professional musicians, mobile scenery, actors in period costume - and free Eccles ‘patties’ baked to Elizabeth Raffald’s 250-year-old recipe.

From Station to Station was the flagship of this year’s Knutsford Promenades annual Heritage Open Days-linked festival of culture and heritage, which had Extraordinary Women as its national theme to reflect the centenary of the first women getting the right to vote.

The production was based on an imaginary meeting between Alison Uttley and Elizabeth Gaskell in the modern world due to a time-slip. Their meeting was interwoven with appearances from other amazing women connected by the Mid-Cheshire Line, including Mary Fildes, Elizabeth Raffald, Charlotte Bronte, Helen Allingham and Emmeline Pankhurst.

From Station to Station was written and directed by Steven Downs, with the musicians led by Clare ‘Fluff’ Smith, the mobile scenery and props devised by artist Russell Kirk and costumes supplied by Davenham Players and Altrincham Little Theatre.

The performance was part of a wider festival of community theatre, talks and walks, displays, hidden gems and historic sites devised by Knutsford Promenades to highlight the legacy of these influential women.

Knutsford Promenades worked with Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership to develop the festival.

Local councils and BIDs supported community workshops to create the mobile scenery that represented key towns and historical women.

Sarah Flannery, chairman of Knutsford Promenades, said: “Collaborating with Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership’s fantastic ‘Discover Amazing Women by Rail’ project was pivotal to the scope and success of our ‘From Station to Station’ programme.

“Being able to link two of Knutsford’s most extraordinary women with other women from Chester to Manchester and perform the play on the train that connects them all, bringing it all together in Manchester, was inspirational.

“In the six years since we established Knutsford Promenades to raise the profile of our cultural powerhouse, this has been our most ambitious project to date, and it has been fantastic to see so much support for our vision, which is all about boosting the visitor economy and cultural profile of Knutsford.”

Sally Buttifant, Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership Officer, said: “From Station to Station was first performed at Brook Street Chapel, where Elizabeth Gaskell is buried.

“Watching it being performed on the Mid-Cheshire Line was very special. Not only was it a literal journey through time and space, it was wonderful to see so many of the women featured in our ‘Discover Amazing Women by Rail’ project brought to life in such an inventive and memorable way.

“Although the performances are over we hope many people will take the train to explore the towns where these amazing women lived and worked.”