Giovanna Fletcher talks about starring in the stage adaptation of The Girl On The Train, which comes to Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn next month...

What can audiences expect when they come to see the show, Giovanna?
It’s a gripping night of theatre that really keeps people on the edge of their seats the whole way through as they try to work out, alongside [lead character] Rachel, what’s going on. It’s really thrilling, really gripping and captivating. It’s just brilliant storytelling, which Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel have adapted from the Paula Hawkins multi-million-selling novel. It’s a great thriller that will pull audiences in and, as I say, keep them on the edge of their seats.

Who is Rachel Watson and what’s her role in the story?
When we meet Rachel at the start of the play, she’s clearly not at the best point in her life. Every day, she gets on the train to work, and she is completely captivated by this couple who basically are living the life that she feels she should have had, but everything’s gone south for her. She’s an alcoholic, she’s divorced, there’s so much that’s gone wrong for her, and she sees this couple and totally idolises them. Then, one day, she’s on the train and she sees the woman in that couple kissing someone else. All her dreams of them as this perfect couple are shattered. The next day, the lady goes missing, so the rest of the play is all about Rachel trying to piece together what, if any, her involvement in that is. Because of her drinking, she has black holes in her memory, and she can’t remember everything. It’s about her trying to let the memories in. Both the audience and Rachel are very much aligned with that, because the audience finds out things as Rachel does.

What makes her such a juicy character to play?
She’s brilliant. I think that when you’re greeted by someone at their lowest, and then you see them regain their strength and find their voice, that’s an empowering part to play. She goes through so much, trying to get to a place where she’s able to speak up and act in a way that she can be proud of. I think she’s someone who has been dismissed for so long by society and within her relationships that it feels like an empowering thing to be the one to help her find her way.

What are the challenges of playing a drunk?
It’s tricky because you don’t want to see me just swaying around the stage. It’s more about the emotions when you’re drunk. It’s more about how things are heightened. Whatever choice you make, it’s just that little bit more. So that’s been fun to play around with, and that’s what the rehearsal process is for - to kind of go ‘How drunk are we making her at this point?’ But there’s not loads of slurring or anything like that. I think that mostly when you’re drunk, you try not to seem drunk. It’s been fun to play around with that, and there are various points throughout the play where she’s trying not to drink, to gain some clarity, then it all falls apart again. It’s been fun experimenting with it.

Are there surprises in store for people who have read the book or seen the film version?
Yes, absolutely. I read the play first. I hadn’t read the book or seen the film, so I read the play first, and then I went back and read the novel and watched the movie. It’s interesting to see the different takes and the way that each version really leans into whatever device is being used to tell the story. The wonderful thing about theatre is that it’s live and right in front of you, so you don’t know what’s coming next or how it’s going to be told. If you’re a fan of the book or the film, amazing - come along and you’ll love it. If you’ve never read the book or seen the film, don’t worry - you’re absolutely going to be able to follow what’s going on because it’s a great piece of storytelling.

You’ve done stage thrillers before, like Wish You Were Dead and 2:22 A Ghost Story. Why do you think audiences are drawn to them repeatedly?
I’ve been thinking about that a lot. I wonder if it’s because of the you’re-all-in-this-together aspect of it. When you see a comedy, you need one person to do the audible laugh first, and then everyone knows ‘This is fine, we’re all in this together and we’re allowed to react.’ I think with thrillers it’s the same thing. You’re sharing all these feelings together. When there’s one person who gasps, and then there’s a little giggle in the audience, everyone then knows that it’s okay to react. I think it’s that feeling of maybe having safety in the collective. Thrillers in the theatre have been having quite the time lately, and understandably so. They’re fun to tell and they’re fun to sit through, feeling that shared anxiety and that shared anticipation of what’s to come. Suspense unites people.

You’ve had such a varied career. Can you pick a few highlights?
Acting-wise, when I was in my first job in the West End, I understudied Andrea Riseborough at the Wyndham’s Theatre in Ivanov. It was the Donmar season, with Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hiddleston, and I had my own part, but I also understudied Andrea. She went off one night mid-show, and I had a three-minute warning that she might not be able to continue with the play.

Suddenly, I was getting ready, then she was going to go back on, then she couldn’t go on, and I think I had about 15 seconds’ warning that I was going on in her place. That was such a massive high, and one that I’m super, super proud of. I feel so lucky that my career has been able to take different paths. I think the through line of each of those paths is storytelling, whether that’s telling a story through playing a character and seeing things through their lives, or whether it’s on the podcast [Happy Mum, Happy Baby], where I’m helping someone else tell their story.

What do you enjoy about touring a show?
There are so many amazing parts of the country that I get to see. I love seeing different theatres and going on different walks; it’s just brilliant. Touring is important because not everyone can get to London to see a show. It’s so important that the theatre can tour in the way that it does, and I have huge respect for the people who do it.

Is there anything you couldn’t be on the road without?
I take my coffee bags everywhere, just to make sure I’ve got coffee, and usually some pre-cooked meals so that when I get to my digs, I’ve got stuff to eat for the week. And I take my walking boots, so I can have a proper walk.

How do you kick back when you’re not working?
I love a jigsaw puzzle. We have the edge of the dining-room table that’s not used, and I love just sitting there, switching off and trying to work out which pieces go where. The thing that I love about jigsaw puzzles is that there’s a right answer, whereas in the rest of life, you’re kind of plotting it all and going ‘I think this is right.’ With a puzzle, it either fits or it doesn’t - which is quite fitting for this play, too.

Giovanna Fletcher stars as Rachel Watson in The Girl On The Train at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, from Tuesday 11 to Saturday 15 March. Louisa Lytton will then play the part when the production visits The Alexandra, Birmingham, from Tuesday 29 April to Saturday 3 May, with Laura Whitmore stepping into the role when the show stops off at Malvern Theatres from Tuesday 17 to Saturday 21 June.