17 Jun 2026
Becky Alexander, author of bestselling thrillers Someone Like You and The Other Mrs Eden, both available from Waterstones and Amazon, ponders how to adapt a book for theatre.
Paula Hawkins’ brilliant novel, The Girl on the Train, sold over 23 million copies worldwide. There is a very good chance you read it, or saw the film that followed.
It opens with Rachel Watson catching the train into work, like she always does. I imagined her on the train from St Albans into London, looking into the back gardens of the houses as she travels through West Hampstead (do you know the ones I mean?). Rachel sees a couple – a gorgeous, dream couple – and wishes that she had their perfect life. Until one of them goes missing.
Yes, it’s a psychological thriller, with twists and turns, and we never know who to trust. As a novelist myself, I would have loved to have written it. It’s tightly paced, clever, and it’s not until the end that you think – ah – so that’s what was going on. And let’s be honest, the vast royalties would have been very handy living in St Albans.
And, now there is a play, based on the novel, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel.
As a member of the Abbey Theatre’s playwriting group, I was intrigued to hear that the Company of Ten were performing The Girl on the Train. How would a play version work? It’s a complicated story, featuring trains, multiple characters and suspects, a police investigation and locations including Norfolk and London. How were they going to get all that onto the stage? I wanted to find out.
I was fortunate to be cast in the play, in the smallest part possible – a policewoman. This suits me perfectly – I don’t have any lines to worry about, but I get to be part of the production and observe how a story like this comes to life on stage. And it has been fascinating.
A stage script is all about dialogue, which means we whizz through the story, in a fast, thrilling two hours, packed with flashbacks and drama. It must have been very challenging to condense a 300+ page novel into a 100-page script. What needs to stay, and what can go? What information does the audience need to understand the plot, and which clues are essential? What needs to be said out loud, and what can be conveyed in the acting? It’s all there if you pay attention.
The Abbey Theatre production features a very talented young cast, who perfectly embody their characters. There are scenes I have seen rehearsed countless times that still make me feel anxious for the characters on stage – seeing the people right in front of you creates an immersive experience. The clever stage design creates a feeling of claustrophobia, that perfectly suits the thriller atmosphere. As Rachel’s life unravels, the sound and music add to the tension. And the train smoke… You don’t get that in the cinema.
My own novels feature actors – if you have read them you know that they are about ambition, rivalry and tension backstage. The occasional murder takes place. I haven’t seen any of that in this production – which is just as well!
Why not come along to the Abbey Theatre and watch The Girl on the Train before it finishes on June 20? Who knows – there might be some novelists in the audience (or on the stage). Tickets are available from www.abbeytheatre.org.uk
