Occasionally a book comes along that absolutely defines a year in literary terms, and takes the world by storm. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins definitely hit that mark, grabbing audiences within weeks of its release.

Even Hollywood had the foresight to jump on the bandwagon and option the book just before its release. So what is all the fuss about?

Rachel Watson is a divorced alcoholic, who spends the majority of her time drinking and taking the train into work. Isolated and alone she consoles herself by watching the people in their houses from the train.

Rachel becomes obsessed with a couple who live in her old street, imagining their lives from the train. Until one day, she learns that the woman has gone missing…

I guess I should admit from the off that I am a big fan of the book. The hype was well-deserved, and so expectations are going to be high for this.

The theatre adaptation is best described as a tight adaptation of the story - and I believe that newcomers and book fans alike will vastly enjoy the ride.

That leads me to my only real major criticism of this performance. The train itself; it is bizarrely absent from most of the play. Yes it appears a few times, but unlike the book where the narrative is centred on it, here it is merely a quick vessel for story advancement.

But an adaptation should not really be held accountable to its source; it should stand proudly on its own, which this does in spades.

Despite the lessening importance of the train the real thread of the narrative is clear, obvious and more importantly a thrilling and tense journey to be on.

Praise should be laid on Samantha Womack, who brilliantly plays Rachel. This character is supposed to a desperate and pitiful woman but ultimately a likeable one, and that was skilfully done on the stage.

You feel desperate for her as you see all that she has loved and lost, and that aches through Samantha’s performance. The cast - of just nine people - overall did a great job with only a few moments in the first act where I wished the emotional dial had been turned just a little higher.

The real strength and wonder of this story though is its themes, which the play should take a lot of credit for masterfully portraying.

The audience should know these are not comfortable feelings to tackle and the production wants to make you feel that.

The women in the cast all struggle with abusive relationships with men which speaks volumes in an age where half the world is still struggling to find equality.

Isolation is key to Rachel’s character, locked in a world of her own making.

Whilst perhaps most importantly, the theme of how we view the world and the delusions that we create run absolutely true in the performance; the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the track, and we should not be afraid to confront that.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Girl on the Train and would highly recommend the play for people who wish to see a deep character drama come to life in front of their eyes.

4/5

The Girl on the Train is showing at the Wycombe Swan until Saturday, September 21. Go to www.wycombeswan.co.uk for tickets or call 01494 512 000.