In 2015, British author Paula Hawkins’ debut novel The Girl on the Train, grew to become a runaway best-seller across the globe (it was the yr’s primary on the New York Times Fiction Best Sellers List, topping the charts for an astounding 16 weeks). With a Hollywood film adaptation starring Emily Blunt following sharply on its heels a yr later, albeit with a re-setting to New York as a substitute of London, we now have Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s 2018 stage model re-touring the nation. What the stage play does is restore it to its unique and extra gritty location with a slightly extra messy heroine than the large finances film incarnation.
Binge consuming Rachel Watson (Giovanna Fletcher) passes her outdated home and her ex-husband with his new life, spouse and child, on daily basis as she commutes to work. While her consideration is initially on her ex Tom and his trophy spouse Anna, whom she has harassed relentlessly, it strays to a home a number of doorways down the place she finds a brand new fixation “Jason & Jess” as she’s dubbed them, and their seemingly excellent life. Little does she know that Jess’s life is much from idyllic. When Rachel wakes up sooner or later, bloody and injured with little recollection of what has occurred, she finds out “Jess”, really Megan, is lacking. She inveigles her manner into the police investigation, befriending Megan’s husband Scott and visiting Jess’s psychotherapist Dr. Abdic beneath false pretences. As Rachel slowly sobers up, her reminiscences turn into steadily clearer and there’s an entire shoal of pink herrings to wade by earlier than we come to the stunning denouement.
The design by Adam Wiltshire may be at finest described as sparse. There’s no prepare, just a few flashing lights and a choreographed sequence with the ensemble swaying forwards and backwards and chattering. Rachel’s grubby hovel of a flat within the earlier incarnation is boiled all the way down to a cover and a few detritus scattered on the naked stage ground. The minimal strip lighting and gloomy projections and shadow work, barely minimize by the gloom of the black field staging. It’s grindingly boring artistically.
Loveday Ingram’s manufacturing is gradual to get into gear, the motion begins with the ringing doorbell of Rachel’s flat signalling her descent right into a residing hell. For those that haven’t any data of the story, Ingram’s directorial choices do little to ascertain the advanced layers of the story rapidly sufficient. One can’t assist assume that many of the staging choices have been based mostly on finance slightly than serving the story nicely. Where the stage manufacturing differs from the ebook and film incarnations is the frequent black humour, which offers gentle aid on this darkish story. The scenes between Rachel and sardonic D.I. Gaskell (Paul McEwan) are notably well-played. Indeed, McEwan is definitely the stand-out performer of the evening.
Having firmly established herself as a nationwide treasure, Giovanna Fletcher’s Rachel is a bit missing. Her pure heat shines within the comedic moments however the extra dramatic are a bit over-played. The manufacturing is un-amplified and at occasions Fletcher’s nasal voice and a few of her fellow performers’, wrestle to fill this huge auditorium.
The actual query that deserves addressing for many who have learn the ebook or seen the film is – does it have an effect on the enjoyment? Not totally. The script is intelligent sufficient within the second act to supply sufficient twisting and turning about how they get to the dramatic conclusion for the viewers, acquainted or not, to really feel glad.
The Girl on the Train is at its core a implausible story and it is a strong sufficient, however very a lot no-frills manufacturing.
Runs till 1 February 2025 | Image: Pamela Raith
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