PRESS RELEASE

Based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins and DreamWorks film

Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel

Directed by Karen Byrnes

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September 29 - October 22, 2023

(Opening Night: September 29)

No performances during Pumpkin Festival Weekend, October 13 - 15)

Coastal Repertory Theatre, 1167 Main Street, Half Moon Bay

WHAT: Based on the international bestselling novel and hit film, the stage adaptation of the gripping psychological thriller THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN roars its way to the West Coast. This bold staging interweaves fragmented memory and hazy reality through an abstract integration of lighting, sound, and projection.

Rachel Watson longs for a different life. Her only escape is the perfect couple she watches through the train window every day, happy and in love. Or so it appears. When Rachel learns that the woman she’s been secretly watching has suddenly disappeared, she finds herself as a witness and even a suspect in a thrilling mystery in which she will face bigger revelations than she could ever have anticipated. 

This layered and engrossing tale will leave you questioning the fragile boundaries between reality, illusion, and the eerie depths of forgetting.

Please be advised that the play contains content that may be triggering or emotionally unsettling. Recommended for ages 16 and above.

HISTORY: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN debuted as a novel in 2015, swiftly becoming a bestseller. A successful film adaptation followed in 2016, starring Emily Blunt. This enthralling stage adaptation ingeniously combines elements from both the novel and the movie, with an added layer of drama that only live performance can create. It was first performed at West Yorkshire Playhouse on May 12, 2018. Directed by Joe Murphy, the production featured Jill Halfpenny as Rachel Watson. The play was then presented with this version of the script at Milton Keynes Theatre in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire on January 23, 2019. It was directed by Anthony Banks and featured Samantha Womack as Rachel.

CAST LIST 

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Rachel .........Amy Stringer

Tom ............Aaron Seymour

Anna .......... Lauren Harris

Megan. ........Miranda Sinclair

Scott ............Sean Purcell

Gaskill ..........Jeffrey Biddle

Kamal ......... Blake Dardenelle

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PRODUCTION TEAM

Director........................Karen Byrnes

Producer.......................Greet Jaspaert

Stage Manager.............Maddie Rojas

Asst Stage Manager.......Calyx Liu

Set Design and Build.......Dutch Fritz

Lighting Design ..............Dutch Fritz

Sound Design ................Kristen Pearson

Projections Designer.........Carlos Aceves

Costumer .......................Sue Joswiak and Michele Parry

Props .............................Greet Jaspaert

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WHEN: Opening: September 29.

Closes: October 22

(No performances during Pumpkin Festival Weekend, October 13-15)

SHOWS: Fridays and Saturdays: 8 PM

Sundays: 2 PM

RUNTIME: Approximately 2 hours

WHERE: Coastal Repertory Theatre (1167 Main Street, Half Moon Bay)

TICKETS: For tickets ($19 - $32) or more information, the public may visit

www.coastalrep.com or call the box office at (650) 204-5046. Please be advised that the play contains content that may be triggering or emotionally unsettling. Recommended for ages 16 and above.

PRESS: Contact Deborah Joves at deborah.joves@coastalrep.com

PHOTOS: Amy Stringer in the role of Rachel Watson. Photo credit: Joyce Morrell.