Leeds Grand Theatre – until Saturday 5th July 2025
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
4****
Tonight I had the absolute pleasure of being invited down to review the UK and Ireland tour of “The Girl on the Train”, starring Laura Whitmore as the eponymous character Rachel Watson. The show revolves around the disappearance of Megan Hipwell, a young married girl who Rachel watches from the train window every morning on her commute. I won’t spoil the plot points or the twists and turns, but safe to say… this is a story not to be missed.
Laura Whitmore is fabulous as Rachel Watson, an alcoholic divorcée who finds herself caught in the middle of the disappearance of a complete stranger (mostly). I wasn’t actually aware of Whitmore’s very impressive Alma Mater (RADA) until reading the program before the show and semi expected this to be yet another celebrity casting decided to shift tickets at the detriment of quality, but I have to say… this was a poor misconception. Whitmore gave a flawless performance, with a real depth of emotion and a fabulous realness. Bravo!
Freya Parks was brilliant as Megan Hipwell, the artist gone missing. Hipwell gave a real raw performance, particularly in the scene where she confesses her past to her therapist. Samuel Collins was good as Scott Hipwell. His performance was exceptional, with just the right level of broken without feeling weak. Daniel Burke was fair as Kamal Abdic, with not all too much to do but being solid to call upon. Paul Mcewan was great as DI Gaskill, the man charged with investigating the local disappearance. Edward Harrison was fantastic as Tom Watson, with a real feeling of safety to his character that plays well into the final act. Zena Carswell was good as Anna Watson, new wife of Tim and a newborn hatred for her love rival,Rachel .
In terms of production, the show was very good, a simplistic and yet equally impressive set consisted of 3 translucent tabs/drops, with memory scenes playing out through these to highlight the fog of memory. The direction was great, with the way the set is being changed and characters changed being completely efficient. Lighting, sound and costume were all spot on for the piece.
Overall I would highly recommend that you catch “The Girl on the Train” while it is at this station! This is not to be missed either for the show or for the initial drama and Whitmore delivers a real tour de force.