The Girl on the Train isn’t an easy story to bring to the stage, but this production did a solid job of making it work. The tension built well, the staging was cleverly done, and despite the heavy subject matter, there were some funny moments that balanced it out. It kept me engaged throughout, even though I knew the story, and the way it played with memory and perception translated well to theatre. It’s not perfect, but it was an enjoyable watch.
One of the best parts of the production was the staging, especially the way they handled the train scenes. The set design and lighting worked together really well to create the feeling of movement, and it was particularly effective in the final moments of the show. It gave the production a cinematic quality that isn’t always easy to achieve in theatre, making those key moments feel more intense. The transitions between scenes were smooth too, shifting between Rachel’s reality and what she imagines in a way that made the story feel disorienting but not confusing. It captured that sense of unreliable narration that’s so important to the plot.
Making a psychological thriller work on stage is always a challenge, since theatre doesn’t have the same tricks that films use to build suspense. But this managed to keep the tension going, with a few moments that had the audience fully silent, waiting to see what would happen next. Even though I already knew the twists, I still found myself drawn into the mystery, which says a lot about the way it was paced and performed. It didn’t feel slow or dragged out, but it also didn’t rush past the psychological elements that make the story interesting.
The acting was mostly strong, but I wasn’t fully convinced by Rachel’s performance. She had the intensity the role needed, but she spent a lot of the show shouting, which made it harder to connect with her emotionally. That said, she still carried the role well in terms of energy, and her interactions with the other characters kept things engaging.
One of the things I didn’t expect was how much humour was woven into the show. It’s obviously a dark story, but there were quite a few funny moments that landed well and stopped it from feeling too heavy. It helped make the characters feel more real rather than just being there to serve the plot, and it made the dynamic between them more interesting to watch. It’s always a good sign when a show can balance tension with lighter moments without it feeling out of place.
Overall, I thought it was a well-done adaptation. The staging and atmosphere really helped bring the story to life, and the tension kept me hooked even though I knew how it ended. The lead performance could have used more variation, but it didn’t take away from how gripping the production was as a whole. A strong take on a difficult genre to translate to theatre, and definitely worth seeing if you’re into psychological thrillers.