Mayflower Theatre Southampton – until Saturday 9th February 2019
Reviewed by Leanne Caplis
4****
Based on the best-selling novel and film Simon Friend, Amblin Partners and Josh Andrews bring to the stage The Girl on the Train. Starting its UK tour in Milton Keynes it will run in theatre’s around the UK until Saturday 13th July 2019.
Have you ever been so gripped by something that you have to remind yourself to breathe? Well this show does just that! Having read the book and watched the film it was hard to envisage how they could make such a fast moving storyline, with many flashbacks, fit the stage setting but Simon Friend and Josh Andrews (Directors) and their team did it perfectly.
Rachel Watson (Samantha Womak) a drunken divorcee has hit the bottle hard. After losing her job Rachel continues to ride the train daily to work where she becomes obsessed with the lives of others. Does her obsession go one step to far? Did she murder Megan Hipwell (Kirsty Oswald)?
An intense physiological thriller that had me gripped from the very first moment with Rachel being the stand out performer. It was mesmerising to watch a member of the cast remain on the stage throughout the whole performance whilst the set behind her changed seamlessly and simultaneously.
Rachel continues to get more involved in solving the disappearance of Megan and during her visits to the physiatrist Kamal Abdic (Naeem Hayat) the clever use of the staging to demonstrate the flashbacks makes them my favourite parts of the performance.
With a small cast I thought the venue would perhaps be too big. I was wrong! A pin drop could be heard whilst the story unfolded in front of our eyes and the tension could be felt everywhere. Some of the scenes made me forget I was in a room with hundreds of other people. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to help Rachel convince those around her that she was telling the truth; get them to listen and to stop her ex-husband Tom (Adam Jackson-Smith) manipulating her.
I can’t recommend this train journey enough and I’m sure you will come out agreeing with me it was worth the ride!