Given the current rail chaos in the Greater London area it is ironic that the stage trains which make up Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express are finally grinding to a halt after a strike-free run of nearly 18 years at the Apollo Victoria.

This run made the show, originally written with Lloyd Webber's older children in mind, his second longest-running musical, after Cats, which continues to flourish at the New London Theatre.

The show will continue to be seen in Germany, where it plays at a specially-built theatre in Bochum, and there is talk of a tour, but its closure at the Apollo Victoria marks the end of an era for children's theatre in London.

The cast and crew of Starlight Express have already had a farewell party, but there will be a reception after the final performance on Saturday as well.

Bombay Dreams, which Lord Lloyd Webber is producing, will take over at the Apollo Victoria in June - a press release confirming casting and other details is expected next week.

—by Paul Webb Theatrenow