Audiences are set for a gripping and captivating evening at the theatre this week.
The Girl on the Train has arrived at Mayflower Theatre, delivering all the tension and intrigue that made Paula Hawkins’ 2015 novel an instant international sensation.
For those unfamiliar, The Girl on the Train quickly gained global acclaim upon its publication, with a film adaptation starring Emily Blunt following just a year later. Nearly a decade on, the story has returned to thrill UK audiences on the stage, this time with television presenter Laura Whitmore leading the cast as Rachel Watson.
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Whitmore was compelling and powerful, embodying Rachel throughout the entire two-hour-plus performance without a single falter. I don't think she left the stage once, which is an incredible shift to put in each evening.
Whitmore’s Rachel is a vulnerable, chaotic, and deeply unreliable woman. She is consumed by alcoholism in the wake of her crumbled marriage. Rachel becomes fixated on a seemingly perfect couple she observes from her daily train journey, until the woman she watches goes missing. Rachel is left as a key witness, suffering from a mysterious injury and a troubling gap in her memory from the night in question.
The unreliable narration is arguably a challenge to portray on stage, but this production manages it effectively. The set is minimal, using screens to create pouring rain or the static haze of Rachel’s mental fog. The moody and dark lighting is constant, with only the actors lit in front of the darkness. Lights shift in colour to distinguish reality from flashbacks, cleverly immersing the audience in Rachel’s disoriented state.
While the first act unfolds at a slower pace, the second half accelerates, increasing the tension as Rachel desperately searches for answers about Megan, the missing woman. This production isn't full of jump scares, but that doesn't lower the intrigue or suspense at all.
The Girl on the Train ultimately offers a perfect escape, blending chilling suspense with gripping drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
It is on at Mayflower Theatre until Saturday, July 26. Tickets are available online or by calling 02380 711811.
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