Curve, Leicester
20th May, 2025
“I
want to finish my story”
From novels to films, and gripping tv
series to, of course, theatre, there is an enduring appeal to thrillers, from both an
entertainment and business perspective. For example, The Mousetrap, the
epitome of stage thrillers, is a one room eight-suspect whodunit that engages
the inner-sleuth in all of us and, all importantly, works as satiating
entertainment at a relatively low cost for producers. The Girl on the Train carries
on this traditional showbiz model, but is far more contemporary, both in its
subject matter and staging. There is a strong balance between a suspenseful
whodunnit that drives the play and a psychological element about memory and
control, and abusive relationships. Loveday Ingram’s new touring production
utilises the space and artifice of the stage to amplify the sense of unease and
paranoia experienced by our titular ‘Girl’.
Brought to the stage in Rachel
Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s occasionally stilted adaptation, Paula Hawkins’
story starts with Rachel, a divorced alcoholic living in a grimy bedsit. On the
train each day, Rachel goes by the big house she used to live in and
understandably becomes obsessed with the life she’s lost. One of the
neighbouring houses becomes the centre of a fantasy: the perfect couple kissing
on the terrace in their leafy suburban home. And then that woman goes missing,
and all eyes are on our unreliable protagonist.
A big question in the play is about
Rachel’s autonomy and the ‘black holes in her memory’. This motif is cleverly
utilised in both text and design. In the missing woman’s (Natalie Dunne as
Megan) home, a vortex-like artwork hangs on the wall with a black hole in the
middle. The emptiness in the middle of it, what that space is supposed to
represent, and who has control of that is a key interest. This is also
expressed visually in Adam Wiltshire’s set. A black box welcomes both real
worlds (smoggy underpasses, one-room flats, large and stylish London family
homes) and visual representations of memory and fiction. On the whole, it’s a
clever design which is exciting to watch, also thanks to theatrical lighting
and Dan Light’s cinematic projections.
Louisa Lytton brings an arsenal of
experience from EastEnders to the dramatically demanding role of Rachel. She’s a
character in the throes of a crisis who doesn’t know if she can trust herself,
after years of having had her sanity questioned and doubt drip-fed into her
rationality. Lytton conveys all of this very well and carries the play through
its two hours. Also impressive is Paul McEwan as DI Gaskill. His character is
very well written, fleshing him out so he’s more than just a 2-D detective but
also an interesting character in his own right that sways against type.
In some ways, The Girl on the Train is
a well-staged, entertaining-enough soap. But on another note, Ingram and the
rest of the creative team have redefined what the thriller can be and look like
in the 21st century. After seeing several poor thrillers on the touring
circuit over the last few years, The
Girl on the Train, probably thanks to its contemporary
setting and relatable characters (an OAP Sherlock Holmes with a crack addiction
didn’t quite work for me), is a sure-fire hit. This production ramps up the
tension culminating in a hair-raising final set piece. Exhilarating and timely,
The Girl on the Train is a fine addition to the theatrical thriller
canon.
The Girl on the Train plays at Curve, Leicester, until 24th May part of a UK
tour. For further information about tour dates, please see https://thegirlonthetrain.com/
Louisa Lytton in The Girl on the Train. Credit: Danny Kaan
