DIANE Samuels’ Kindertransport at Altrincham Little Theatre interests me because I once knew someone who had travelled on the train that brought 10,000 mostly German Jewish children to England to save their lives.

Because Ovaltine was advertised at every station, she believed every English town had that name.

Our leading figure, Eva, travels in that train, too.

Thanks to Simon McBride’s sound effects we can hear it trundling along.

Taken in by Lil, a loving adoptive mother, Eva renounces her Jewish faith and becomes Evelyn.

The action is set in an attic full of junk in which details of Evelyn’s past are stored.

The roles of Eva/Evelyn are divided. Florence Avis, for whom I predict a successful acting future, brilliantly plays troubled Eva from aged nine to 17. Victoria Johnson plays Evelyn, a disturbed adult, well.

Although Meg Cooper’s superbly under exaggerated performance as the caring Lil gives her ward some stability, events take their toll. The child lives in fear of the Ratcatcher, a figment of her imagination. She seems to forget how to love, which affects Faith, her own daughter.

When Grace Garside’s Faith finds out about her mother’s past, she angrily recoils at the withholding of her heritage and, in an unforgettable scene, they row.

The cast truly embody their characters and strongly illustrate the relationship between mothers and daughters.

Under Jaqueline Wheble’s direction, the timescales interweave seamlessly.

* Until March 21. For tickets, call 0161 928 1113. Star rating - * * * *