By Molly Lee
*Crackly voice on the station tannoy* Next arrival at platform two is the stage production of The Girl on The Train, calling at Chester, Birmingham, Southend and Liverpool, and due to arrive at Leicester’s Curve theatre in May.
Based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling book of the same name, the psychological thriller stars EastEnders’ Louisa Lytton in the main role as the drunken, self-destructive, obsessive Rachel, who lives vicariously through the seemingly perfect couple she watches through the train window every day. Then she discovers the woman has gone missing, and Rachel becomes a witness but also a suspect.
The book sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, leading to a film adaptation starring Emily Blunt, which transplanted the action from London to New York.
The story was first performed on stage in Leeds in 2018, with Jill Halfpenny in the lead role and Joe Murphy at the helm, but it received a mauling from the critics, with one review calling it “as appealing as a British Rail sandwich.”
This new production, directed by Loveday Ingram, set off on a UK tour back in January with I’m a Celeb winner Giovanna Fletcher in the lead. Lytton, who played Albert Square’s Ruby Allen in the BBC soap for two decades, takes over in April. Former Love Island host Laura Whitmore plays Rachel for the final months of the UK and Ireland tour.
Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, who adapted the book for stage, said in a joint statement when the tour was announced: “Since opening in the UK in 2018, The Girl on the Train has been performed around the world, so we’re thrilled that it’s coming back for this UK-wide tour.” They also hail Ingram’s production as “powerful” and “stylish”.
The Girl on the Train is at Leicester’s Curve Theatre from Tuesday, May 20 to Saturday, May 24. Tickets are on sale now. Visit www.curveonline.co.uk.
