Starlight Express
- Christopher Harding
- Jul 8, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 30, 2025
Troubodor Park Wembley Theatre
Starlight Express London tickets
This is Control! The Olivier Award-winning revival is celebrating its second year at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre! Get your skates on and join Rusty, Pearl and Greaseball for the race of a lifetime.
About Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a delight for the senses that is entirely performed on roller skates, it follows Rusty in his quest for the crown (and an auto-mobile lady). One night, as a child lays sleeping, wheels spin and toys come to life, all helped by a touch of magic.
Three different engines are set to enter a race for the crown of ‘Fastest engine in the World!’. Enemies Greaseball (a haughty diesel train), and Electra (a brand-new electric engine poke jabs at Rusty, but with the guidance of the ‘Starlight Express’ legend, Rusty learns that he could triumph all along, all he needed was meet the victor within.
Starlight Express thundered across the finish line with 7 incredible wins at the 25th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, making it the most awarded show in 2025!
The production won Best Costume Design at the 2025 Olivier Awards.
Starlight Express holds the Guinness World Record for most visitors to a musical in a single theatre, with over 19 million people welcomed to the Starlight Express Theater in Bochum
Worldwide Fun Facts
Record-Breaking Run in Germany:
The Bochum, Germany production has been running continuously since 1988 in a purpose-built theatre — making it one of the longest-running musicals in the world! 🇩🇪
A Musical for Kids and Adults:
Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote it partly for his children, blending trains, racing, and rock music into a story about believing in yourself.
The “Starlight Sequence”:
The title song “Starlight Express” is a showstopper — and in the story, it’s when Rusty the steam train calls on the mythical Starlight Express for help.
Voice of the Future:
In the original production, the Starlight Express voice was a recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber himself, heavily modified with echo and reverb!
Musical Mashup:
The show mixes rock, pop, gospel, and blues — each train’s music style reflects its personality (for example, the American train has a rock’n’roll vibe).
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