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Samantha Womack has swapped Albert Square for a train in her latest stage role.
The former EastEnders star is appearing in The Girl on The Train - the stage version of the bestselling novel, which has sold more than 20m copies, and also a 2016 film starring Emily Blunt.
The gripping thriller tells the story of Rachel Watson who 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.
She says of her role: “There are about 70 pages of dialogue for me to learn. It’s like playing Hamlet. I never shut up.”
After playing Ronnie Mitchell in BBC1’s EastEnders, Samantha has notched up film credits including the Kingsman films alongside Colin Firth, while on stage she has played Morticia The Addams Family.
She said: “Having been thoroughly captivated by the novel, the opportunity to take on a role like this is incredibly exciting.
“I’ve been fascinated by thrillers for a long time and this kind of storytelling, like Hitchcock’s Rear Window, offers us a voyeurs’ journey into a world which is dangerous and full of suspense.”
And she adds of her character: “There’s something about Rachel’s devil-may-care rebellion that appeals to lots of people. She says what you shouldn’t say, she thinks what you shouldn’t think, she’s a victim of circumstance and you have sympathy for her because of everything she’s been through.”
She is joined by Oliver Farnworth as Scott, best known for playing Andy Carver in Coronation Street, but whose TV credits also include Mr Selfridge, The Royal and Hollyoaks.
Scripted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, the play returns the story to its UK roots. Rachel is a dream role for Samantha, who says she was gripped by the novel when she read it, though a little apprehensive about playing a convincing drunk. “It’s a really hard thing to do,” she says. “Drink is like a truth syrup that removes all the boundaries so rather than a comical element, with the slurring and slipping up, I think Rachel’s just completely unpredictable. It’s about what happens when she’s drunk and where does her brain go?”
Read our review of the show here.
Although enjoying her freedom from soap life, Samantha admits: “The unpredictability of my future is terrifying. Ten years ago when I went into EastEnders I was younger and you embrace the unknown. The older I get the scarier it is.”
The show is at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford from Tuesday, May 7 to Saturday, May 11. Book at orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 22000.
It is also at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury from Tuesday, August 20 to Saturday, August 24. Book at marlowetheatre.co.uk and at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley from Monday, October 14 to Saturday, October 19 - visit churchilltheatre.co.uk for tickets.
