Open auditions for The Girl on the Train based on the novel by Paula Hawkins, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel.
Director – Forest Morgan
Forest is a Colchester born director. Recent directing credits include; Love & Information by Caryl Churchill (Mercury Theatre), the award winning production of Our Walk Through the World by Ross Howard (Headgate Theatre) (Best Director and Best Actress at the Keep Colchester Cool Awards and joint Best Production – Drama at the North Essex Theatre Guild Awards) and The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh (Lakeside Theatre).
Assistant Director – Bethany Shilling
Production Week:
3rd – 7TH August 2027 (performances Tuesday – Saturday, with two shows on Saturday 7th) Get in on 1st August. All cast must be available for the week prior to the production.
Rehearsal plan:
Rehearsals will take place from 28th April at The Headgate on Wednesday evenings at 7pm and Sunday afternoons 2-5pm. If cast availability requires it, there is some flexibility on this. Given the complexities involved in staging this show, the cast will be required at most rehearsals regardless of role.
When initially working through scenes of an intimate nature, only those involved in the scene along with agreed creatives will be present in the rehearsal space.
Play read through:
A readthrough of The Girl on the Train will take place on the 8th November between 2-5pm. No prior knowledge of either the play, film or book is required.
Content Warning:
Themes within the play including alcoholism, child loss and various forms of abuse (including physical violence). Lighting and sound will be intense, and specific information on this will be provided as soon as possible during the rehearsal period in an updated content warning document.
There are moments of intimacy throughout the show. Characters included in these moments have been flagged in the breakdown below. No nudity is required and all moments of intimacy will be discussed and agreed in full before being worked on in the rehearsal space.
Audition arrangements:
Auditions will be held at The Headgate. They will take place in a group format on the 17th March 2027 @ 7pm and 21st March 2027 @ 2pm.
Auditionees are only required at one of the two dates.
Plot overview and character descriptions
Every day, Rachel watches the same houses from the train—and becomes fixated on the seemingly perfect couple, Megan and Scott. But when Megan suddenly disappears, Rachel finds herself pulled into a dark, volatile world of secrets, lies and fractured memories.
Adapted for the stage, this gripping psychological thriller is raw, claustrophobic and relentlessly intense, shifting between past and present as reality begins to fracture. With obsession, betrayal and danger spiralling out of control, nobody is safe—and nobody is telling the whole truth.
The Girl on the Train contains themes of alcoholism, child loss and abuse including physical and emotional. It is an intense production for both those involved and the audience. Therefore, please consider this before auditioning. There will be an open read through as outlined above for those interested in knowing the contents before making the decision to audition.
All of the intensity and intimacy of the play will be handled delicately at all times.
Rachel Watson, playing age 30-40
Intimacy through kissing
Physical and emotional aggression
Anna Watson, playing age 25 – 35
No specific notes.
Megan Hipwell, playing age 25 – 40
Intimacy through kissing
Victim of physical violence
The theme of child loss is particularly
important for this character
Tom Watson, playing age 30 – 40
Intimacy through kissing
Physically violent
Scott Hipwell, playing age 30 – 40
ntimacy through kissing
Physically violent
Kamal Abdic, playing age: any
Kamal is of Bosnian heritage
D.I. Gaskill, playing age: any
Intimacy through kissing