Paula Hawkins novel, The Girl on the Train has sold an estimated 20 million copies and the Dreamworks film was a box office success, grossing $173 million worldwide and, although it received mixed reviews, it was nominated for two prestigious awards, so successfully adapting it for the stage is a very brave undertaking – but the resulting play tells the story incredibly well.
Rachel Watson is an alcoholic, still reeling from the end of her marriage to Tom. She frequently binge drinks and has “black holes” in her memory when she sobers up. Tom has a daughter with his new wife, a situation that fuels Rachel’s self-destructive tendencies, as it was her inability to have a child that began her spiral into alcoholism. Rachel follows the same routine of taking the train to London everyday. As her train slowly passes her old house, she also starts “spying” on an attractive couple who live two houses away from Tom. She names them Jason and Jess, though she has no idea that their life is far from the perfect one that she imagines they have…
Samantha Womack gives the performance of her life as Rachel Watson. Watching her fight to put the fragments of her memory together, through the cloud of alcohol that fogs it, is as painful as it is inspiring. She knows that she knows something important – she just doesn’t know what it is, yet. Every word, movement, drunken stumble and facial expression is carefully choreographed to enhance the tale that she tells and, despite the subject matter, she even manages to inject some comedy into the proceedings.
Jason and Jess, who are in fact called Scott and Megan, are played by Oliver Farnworth and Kirsty Oswald. Floundering around in a world of uncertainty, since his wife’s mysterious disappearance, Farnworth really embodies the role of Scott very well. Wanting to trust anyone who might be able to help to find her, he also realises that her disappearance is probably centred around his behaviour.
Kirsty Oswald is mesmerising as Megan. Drifting in and out like a ghost, in an ever changing costume that hints towards the darkness in her life, she delivers the plays most passionate monologue, revealing an inner pain that she will never leave behind.
Rachel’s Husband Tom (Adam Jackson-Smith) is now married to Anna (Lowenna Melrose), and has the child that he always craved. The pair work so hard to portray the “perfect couple” that there is a palpable feeling of delight in the audience as the veneer of their relationship begins to crack in act two.
The story is moved along, at quite a pace, by John Dougall as D.I. Gaskell and Naeem Hayat as Therapist, Kamal Abdic, with the latter holding some very cleverly written semi-flashback conversations with Rachel and Megan which, although complex at first, give clarity where it is needed.
Those who may not have read the book, or seen the film, will find that the adaptation, by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, works really well as a stand alone piece of dramatic theatre. The tension builds right up until the final “reveal” and, with superb performances by the whole cast, The Girl on the Train is a tremendously thrilling production.
**** Four Stars