Salisbury Playhouse – until 11th November 2023
Reviewed by Alexandra Browning
4****
We are quickly transported away to the life of Rachel Watson (played by Joanna Van Kampen). R. Watson is immediately the focal character with all her baggage on display for all to see, and it is clear Rachel has a lot. Joanna flawlessly fulfilled the role of Rachel in a scarily believable way, she perfectly matched the emotions of the character pace for pace.
The scenes on the train are perfectly set, using cast members to be other passengers and always having a focus on the relevant characters. They provide the perfect bridge into the next element of the thriller and add time tension to the show with a good use of gripping music.
Kampen’s role of Watson pairs very well with Emer McDaid’s role of Megan Hipwell or Jess.
Watson and McDaid’s lives are intertwined without even knowing it, they share a story that plays them off to be less than their worth and at the end of the thriller they resolve each other’s problems in the most dramatic ways.
The final stand-out performance of the show is Jason Merrells as D.I. Gaskill. He adds some comedic relief to the show when it starts to get a little low. He allows the audience to refocus on the thriller adding in details that make you question every character in the performance. He has a good heart and believes the best in everyone until the end of the seat gripper when he consoles the remaining characters on stage.
The show is high-octane at every step, you follow the lives of the characters gripped to find out the end of the story.