Writer: Paula Hawkins
Adapters: Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel
Director: Loveday Ingram
The Girl on the Train, originally a bestselling book written by Paula Hawkins in 2015, was adapted into a film in 
2016 and for the stage in 2018, which speaks to the quality of the original work and how it can be experienced in different media, but does it work in this stage production? Short answer: absolutely!
The writing team of Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel have done a fantastic job of adapting the original for this production; it deserves to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other adaptations as a well-produced and loyal homage to the original novel. The sophistication of the writing develops tension and intrigue using open-ended questions and false flags to build to an incredibly emotional and stunning climax.
It all begins with an unmade mattress under a dust-filled spotlight through an atmosphere of eerie fog, a great way to set the scene by set designer Adam Wiltshire, who uses a minuscule amount of props to indicate different locations, while making great use of projections on a rear screen to add a huge amount of atmosphere and context to the performance. The projection shows the audience depictions through a moving train window, Rachel’s rain-covered apartment window and other expositions showing newspaper headlines and TV broadcasts about what is happening: the screen is used to great effect throughout the performance.
The small but effective cast does a fantastic job bringing this story to life, led magnificently by Laura Whitmore, playing the lead Rachel, a tragic figure struggling with loneliness, depression and alcohol dependency. Whitmore does an amazing job portraying all aspects of this character, grabbing the audience’s attention and keeping us gripped by the story the entire time. Whitmore is unceasing in this performance; apart from a couple of short absences, she remains on stage for the entire play and even when she is not speaking, her presence and reactions to the action around her still draw the eyes of the audience so that we never miss a moment of her story.
Another great performance comes from Paul McEwan as the police officer DI Gaskill, whose injection of humour breaks through the tension and momentarily lightens a mostly dark and intense atmosphere. Despite his relentless questioning and mistrust of Rachel and her retelling of events, he shows moments of real care and humanity, seeing the difficulties faced, he at least tries to make a difference and help out where he can. This is a welcome change from other police or authority figures in other performances who frequently come across as emotionless robots in a never-ending pursuit of the truth without a speck of care.
As DI Gaskill becomes a less prominent figure in Act 2 of the performance, he is replaced by Freya Parks as the stand-out supporting figure: her portrayal of Megan Hipwell is fantastic, with emotionally charged and deeply heartbreaking monologues that knock the wind out of you. This is an intense production to watch but her retelling of the characters’ tragedy is a real gut punch for an already vulnerable audience.
These stand-out performances are backed up by an ensemble that is used masterfully to build the scenes and add to the minimalist sets, whether they are being used to depict a bustling street, or an overcrowded commuter train, with these background characters supplying Rachel’s nasty habit and inevitably carrying her to her empty apartment and unkempt mattress. This, and the depiction of flashbacks, is the work of director Loveday Ingram, who brings characters onto the stage to re-enact conversations in front of a silent but ever-vigilant Rachel, who watches, absorbing the information being given to her.
Overall, taking a bestselling book and adapting it for a new style with potentially the same audience can be a difficult task and a potential disaster for those attempting it, but this production is proof that it can work and the risk is worth taking. It is a fantastic performance oozing with drama, and filled with tension, every twist and turn in the story brings more questions, more emotionally driven speeches and startling reveals; all building to a memorable climax that hits like a runaway train.
Runs until 14 June 2025 and on tour
