REVIEW: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN (Curve) ★★★★

The Girl on the Train visits Curve in Leicester this week, and it’s a thrilling rollercoaster from start to finish.

I’ll hold my hand up and admit that I ventured into this performance totally blind, as I must be one of the only people on the planet to have never read the book or watched the film. The story is gripping and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Although at times it’s quite a slow pace, it doesn’t drag and the time seems to fly by.

Samantha Womack’s performance as Rachel Watson was electrifying and relentless. She never once leaves the stage, and she is totally captivating and believable in the role. She’s also genuinely funny, and had me laughing out loud at quite a few parts – something I wasn’t expecting, as this isn’t a naturally funny role.

It was a nice surprise to see Oliver Farnworth cast in the role of Scott Hipwell. Farnworth was perfectly casted for the part, and it seems like it could almost have been written for him. He had the perfect mix of vulnerable and strong natured – a man who’s lost and yet perfectly capable of crushing a woman “like an insect”.

Both Womack and Farnworth were joined by an equally stellar cast. John Dougall’s portrayal of D.I. Gaskill was alluring. His is a really interesting and well written character, as Gaskill feels like a really deep personality of a million shades of grey that we only scratch the surface of. A great role to get your teeth into and Dougall does a brilliant job.

The only thing that let the performance down was the set, which seemed dreary, tired and too small for Curve’s massive stage. It might have been more at home within Curve’s studio space, however one look around told me the show is clearly popular enough to more than fill the larger auditorium. There were clever and thought-provoking projections simulating train journeys and swirling black holes throughout, it’s just a shame more wasn’t made of this.

That’s only a slight negative though, and it doesn’t take away from what is a fantastic show that will have you ruminating long after you return home.

Reviewed by Rosie Bambury

_____________________________________________________________