Devised by the Children’s Aid Society in the days before federal child protection and welfare, the orphan train moved around 250,000 children to the rural American West to be adopted. Many were placed with families that loved them, while others were used or abused, or simply felt out of place.

What happened to those children – and especially those that were not selected on the route – is the subject of an absorbing musical produced by British Youth Music Theatre in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome.

The Naughty Carriage on the Orphan Train is a two-act show written by Carl Miller and Luke Saydon with choreography by Ash Mukherjee and directed by Emily Gray and developed out of a one-act show with Dundee Rep in 2023.

Performed in Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio, the show relies on a simple stage and an accessible storyline and a hugely talented troupe of young actors, dancers and singers aged 11-21 years to portray that journey of hope, excitement and trepidation.

An upstage cage-like metal frame represents a carriage in which the raggedly clothed children sway in unison to convey movement. Their stops are recorded on a station lamp post, while downstage the open space serves as a platform where the children step out to be paraded for selection.

One by one, the children leave the train for good or bad, with those remaining singing of their longing and despair. As one child remarks wryly: “Life on the orphan train is no song and dance.” Their experiences are mixed. There are siblings that are split up, while others have issues and differences.

But a show that might sound like an exercise in depression, in fact abounds in exuberance and fun, with catchy ensemble singing. The set pieces are neatly choreographed with sassy singing and dancing to songs like the memorable Choose Me in which the children vie for attention. There are also some sharp and occasionally dark jokes along the way including one about double pneumonia.

These contrast with the tear-jerking poignancy of songs like Where You Are – but be prepared to be joyously moved by the show-stopping finale Waiting for You.

There are standout performances – including confident solo numbers – by Eiry Shi as Appoline, the habitual occupant of the orphan train who is dogged by a lack of self-esteem, and by Blaize Middleton as the ever caring and optimistic Champ, who unshakeably believes “the best family in the world is at the end of the line” – while eventually finding it in a place she wasn’t expecting.

The songs have been developed with current and looked-after children, including one that inspired The Bear Who Drinks Tears, which also involves puppetry.

At its heart, the show is an exploration of what it takes to make a family and seeing the best in those you know. The themes soar through the emotion of the music, creating a lasting feelgood effect that is both funny and touching.

The children are supported by onstage musicians, directed by Luke Saydon, who play a 1920s jazz-like original score on keyboards, cello, clarinet and drums.

The Naughty Carriage on the Orphan Train completes its short run at the Patrick Studio at Birmingham Hippodrome on Sunday, August 27th at 2.15 pm. For bookings go to birminghamhippodrome.com.