The Girl on the Train

Strode Theatre. A darkened auditorium. The haunting tones of the Unthanks accompany the atmospheric lights coming up to reveal a squalid bedsit the morning after an alcoholic bender. Before anything else happens, these powerful images have already begun to draw you into this captivating production by Street Theatre Company.

The Girl on the Train journeys into the chaotic life of Rachel.  An alcoholic on the brink of losing everything, she is a marriage and almost a job down, about to lose her home. Her response is to escape into someone’s else’s seemingly perfect life which she sees every day on her commute to work. From her train she sees a couple, who, happy and in love, seem to have everything she lost. It’s not the full story though and Rachel soon learns that the woman she’s been scrutinising has disappeared. As her own life continues to plummet, she is thrust into becoming a witness and even a suspect in the disappearance. This is a gripping and compelling story and Rachel and the audience embark on twists and turns she couldn’t have begun to imagine, eventually leading back to her own life. 

Director Paul Townsend and his team did a remarkable job with this production. The whole play had a freshness and life of its own. The set was inspired, the use of three panels both front and back projected gave an infinite sense of space and time and transported you seamlessly from bedsit, to underpass, to train, to trendy and stylish homes. The sound plot was carefully curated to further enhance the storytelling atmosphere as was the lighting. One moment in the misty early morning, the next in a well-lit family home. 

There were some tremendous effects including flashbacks and some remarkable makeup as Rachel appears with a fairly grim injury to her forehead. 

The work that went into internalising the characters was evident throughout this show and the pace and intensity never faltered. 

As the show opens, Rachel is just waking from a drunken sleep.  As she comes to, she’s gripped by nausea and the audience are treated to a very authentic reappearance of her last meal. The first moments provide an insight into impact of alcoholism on people’s lives. Rachel is belligerent, untrusting and vulnerable. Through her journey we see new facets of her character as (without giving too much away) she grows and shows real grit in her quest to unravel the disappearance. The audience is firmly on her side as she pieces together the story. Rachel is a complicated but endearing character which carries the story. This was an utterly believable and accomplished performance from beginning to end. 

DI Gaskill was also a great performance, a patient and persistent character which develops a relationship with Rachel. Her seemingly long-suffering ex was played beautifully as was his second wife who was making her theatrical debut. 

Megan’s bereft partner was another very strong performance as was the unfathomable Kamal who kept you guessing as to his motives in the life of Megan. 

This was an unusually strong cast where not one player lacked or trailed, directed with real vision and backed up by an excellent production team. Congratulations!

Katie Jones

NODA Representative District 7

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what they see at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance, and it is inevitable that their assessment will be affected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other

performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

 

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