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Interested in auditioning for The Girl on the Train?Come on down to the Little Theatre bar at 19.30, Friday 14th November.
The Girl on the Train
Friday Feb 13th - Saturday 21st Feb 2026
The play, adapted from Paula Hawkins' bestselling novel, is a gripping mystery-thriller that primarily focuses on the character of Rachel Watson.
Rachel is an unemployed, divorced woman who struggles with alcoholism and frequently experiences memory blackouts. To maintain the illusion of a normal life for her flatmate, she continues to take the commuter train into London every day.
On her route, the train passes by her old house, where her ex-husband, Tom, now lives with his new wife, Anna, and their child. A few doors down, Rachel obsessively watches a couple she nicknames "Jess and Jason" (actually Megan and Scott Hipwell), imagining their life to be perfectly happy.
One day, Rachel witnesses something shocking from the train window: Megan kissing another man. Shortly after, Rachel learns that Megan has gone missing.
Rachel feels compelled to involve herself in the investigation, convinced that what she saw holds a vital clue. However, due to her history of heavy drinking and blackouts, her memory of the night Megan disappeared is fractured and unreliable. Rachel was seen in the neighborhood that night and is considered both a potential witness and a suspect by the investigating detective, D.I. Gaskill.
As Rachel tries to piece together the missing fragments of her memory, she finds herself drawn deeper into the lives of Megan and Scott. She must confront the possibility that her own past—including her tumultuous relationship with Tom—is intertwined with Megan's disappearance. The play becomes a psychological thriller filled with twists and turns as Rachel's efforts to solve the mystery lead to unexpected and dangerous revelations about the people around her.
Rachel Watson
Gender: Female,
Playing age: 25-40,
Accent: British
Rachel is the girl on the train. This is a mentally and physically challenging role. She will be in most scenes, and rarely leaves the stage. We meet her at a low point in her life, where she has divorced from Tom, after being unable to conceive a child. She struggles seeing Tom happy with his new wife Anna, and their baby, living in the house that Rachel and Tom bought together. Rachel drinks alcohol excessively throughout the day, and is practiced at hiding her alcoholism, although that does not often work. She lost her job due to her drinking, but still commutes each day on the train, because it passes by her old house. Although initially she watched Tom and Anna in their home from the train, she becomes more infatuated with another couple instead, Megan and Scott. When Megan suddenly disappears, Rachel entangles herself in the missing persons investigation.
Megan Hipwell
Gender: Female,
Playing age: 25-40,
Accent: British
Megan Hipwell is the girl Rachel wants to be. She looks like she has the world at her feet, a woman that other women want to be, and one that men easily fall in love with. Despite appearances, Megan is unhappy in life, and often seeks comfort and excitement with men she shouldn’t be with. Megan’s disappearance shapes the story of the play, as the mystery of her life unfolds, mostly told through flashbacks and memories.
Anna Watson
Gender: Female,
Playing age: 25-35,
Accent: British
Anna is Tom’s new wife, with whom he had an affair before leaving Rachel. She is Mum to their baby Evie. She is living in the house that Tom and Rachel bought together, and believes that Rachel is harassing Tom, and attempting to win him back. Anna’s main priority is protecting her marriage and her baby, but she is able to stand her ground and make hard decisions when the time comes.
D.I Gaskill
Gender: Any,
Playing age: 40 – 60,
Accent: British
D.I Gaskill is the lead detective on Megan Hipwell’s case, and the only truly objective person in the show. They spend a lot of time with all the characters, getting mixed up in their lives, and trying to unpick the truth between them. They’re experienced and authoritative, but sometimes lose their patience with Rachel’s half-truths.
Tom Watson
Gender: Male,
Playing age: 30-45,
Accent: British
Tom is Rachel’s ex-husband, now married to Anna. He is very charming and uses this quality to attract women. Tom is central to Rachel’s story, as his emotional abuse and narcissism (which is hidden behind his charm and outward kindness) destabilised Rachel’s sense of self. He is a complex character to play, and pivotal to the play’s twist.
Scott Hipwell
Gender: Male,
Playing age: 25-35,
Accent: British Scott is Megan’s rather possessive husband.
After finding out about her infidelity he threatens to K*ll her, which makes him a prime suspect in her disappearance. He is initially duped by Rachel as she pretends to be Megan’s friend to get more information, and he eventually ends up in an awkward romance with her. Scott has a short temper, and is aggressive with both Rachel and Megan.
Kamal Abdic
Gender: Male,
Playing age: 30 – 50,
Accent: British, but perhaps with a slight accent.
Kamal is of Bosnian heritage, and is incorrectly referred to as ‘Asian’-looking in the play. Kamal is Megan’s therapist, and has been helping her to work through her troubled past and find her sense of self. He has a short, but impactful romantic relationship with Megan, which he ends after regretting the unethical infringement. He is reserved and professional, but portrays a kindness and calm. Rachel visits him, posing as a client, to investigate him, after seeing him on the terrace of Megan’s house.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Little Theatre, Hoghton Street, Southport, UK, United Kingdom
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