The Girl on the Train – Bord Gais Energy Theatre – Review

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN – 26 – 30 August 2025

Rachel Watson (Laura Whitmore) is a young woman who is struggling with her current situation. She’s recently divorced from her husband, Tom (Edward Harrison), and lost her job due to her problems with alcohol. One morning, she wakes with no memory of what went on the night before. She becomes embroiled in a missing persons case of a woman she’s never met before, called Megan. Megan is a neighbour of her husband and his new wife, Anna (Zena Carswell). Rachel was seen drunk in the vicinity of their house on the night in question. She sets out to discover what happened to Megan by entering into her world, posing as one of Megan’s friends.

The book, The Girl on the Train, was written by British author Paula Hawkins in 2015 and went on to sell 23 million copies worldwide and was published in over 50 languages. It was adapted into a movie starring Emily Blunt and Rebecca Ferguson in 2016. The stage version was written by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abelin and first produced in 2018.  This current production is finishing a tour of the UK and Ireland at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.

The stage adaptation has changed some elements of the book, making it more suitable for the stage. These are mainly minor elements, with much of the action in the book taking place in the mind of the main protagonist. The stage adaptation does a good job of showing the troubled nature of Rachel, and we’re never quite sure what she says is true. The play gives you very little of The Girl (Rachel) on the Train, other than some moments early on in the proceedings. The scenes that draw the comparison with Hitchcock’s Rear Window have been removed almost entirely, although it would be difficult to capture these silent and thoughtful moments on stage.

It is a difficult role for Laura Whitmore. She’s on stage for the vast majority of the production as she deals with the Police, along with her ex-husband Tom and Megan’s husband. It is impressive that she manages to hold the attention of the audience for the duration of the piece. The story has a succession of twists, as we discover details of Megan’s life. Some of the twists and turns feel convoluted or, at best, unlikely, but it is a good detective yarn, as our amateur sleuth endeavours to discover the truth. There’s nothing exceptional about the writing, but with the success of the book, there’s already a large audience who will enjoy seeing the characters on stage. The production is visually strong, and the staging brings the piece to life.

AGE GUIDANCE: Recommended for ages 12+. Under 16’s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian aged 18+. No under 3’s permitted in the auditorium

Laura Whitmore – Rachel
Daniel Burke – Kamal Abdic
Zena Carswell – Anna
Samuel Collings – Scott Hipwell
Freya Parks – Megan Hipwell
Paul McEwan – DI Gaskill
Edward Harrison – Tom Watson.
Understudies are Ellie Gallimore and Oliver Brooke.