The Girl on the Train Archives

12Feb

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Girl on the Train – The Lowry

Bringing a psychological thriller to the stage should create an atmosphere of tension and intrigue, but The Girl on the Train struggles to maintain the suspense that made the novel so compelling. While the adaptation is faithful to the source material and the performances are solid, the production lacks the gripping intensity needed to keep audiences engaged. The script efficiently condenses the book’s plot, ensuring that key events unfold at a steady pace. However, the rapid transitions between scenes leave little room for suspense to build. The mystery remains intact, but it feels more like a retelling of events rather than a story unravelling in real time. Moments that should feel tense or shocking often pass without much weight, making it difficult to feel fully invested in the twis...

The Girl on the Train – The Brindley Theatre

13Sep

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

The Girl on the Train – The Brindley Theatre

Wow. As someone who went into this show not having seen the film or read the book (I read a book called A Girl on A Train, which I didn’t realise until weeks later was not the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins that everyone else had read), I had no idea what to expect, and I left the theatre feeling utterly blown away! Directed by Clare Littlemore, the show follows Rachel Watson, a well-meaning woman with an alcohol problem (side note: I felt a little uncomfortable at some of the audience’s reactions to Rachel’s drinking. It’s clear that she has an issue with drinking, but there was a lot of laughing in the audience which felt a bit misplaced. Occasionally it felt as though lines were delivered deliberately to evoke a laugh, but other times it was clear that this was not the time, so t...

The Girl on the Train – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

16Jan

By Emma WildNo Comments

North West

The Girl on the Train – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

It is with much anticipation that I attended the opening night of The Girl on the Train at Altrincham Garrick Playhouse, after all, Paula Hawkins’ novel is one of my favourite books. An addictive page turner, unputdownable, gripping until the end. Did the play deliver this level of intensity? In places, yes. Firstly, this small cast of seven actors were all first-rate. Ruth Moore as Rachel Watson was incredible. Moore convincingly portrayed the character of Rachel, divorcee, alcoholic on the brink of eviction and certainly at the lowest point in her life. Moore brought much needed light and shade to the role, with a few key funny lines making the audience laugh yet maintaining a level of desperation - a need to be heard, seen and believed. Moore was engaging to watch, keeping the audien...

The Girl on the Train – Upstairs at The Gatehouse

10Jun

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

The Girl on the Train – Upstairs at The Gatehouse

Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Able’s stage adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ hugely successful novel The Girl on the Train has been given a revamp in this new production, following its tour and West End debut in 2019. Directed by Joseph Hodges, the story focuses on Rachel Watson (Katie Ray), a struggling alcoholic that has lost her job and her husband Tom (Tom Gordon) who has moved on with his new partner Anna (Tori Hargreaves) and their baby. Rachel travels on the train to London every day, as it stops, she has a perfect view of the house where she lived with her ex-husband as well as the couple two doors down. As Rachel watches neighbours Megan (Chrystine Symone) and Scott (Scott Hipwell), she enviously imagines what life could be like for this couple she doesn’t know. When Megan suddenly goe...