Simon Friend Entertainment and Josh Andrews Productions today confirm that Irish presenter, writer, broadcaster and former Love Island host, Laura Whitmore is set to star as Rachel Watson at certain dates in a new UK tour of the smash-hit Wiltshire Creative Production of The Girl on the Train.
Her performances in the gripping thriller, based on the internationally acclaimed number one best-selling novel by Paula Hawkins begin at Brighton’s Theatre Royal on Tuesday 3 June 2025 and will run through to her returning to Dublin and the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre at the end of August.
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.
On joining the tour, Laura says: “I read the book when it first came out and I was obsessed by it. I love it when you find a book and all you can think about is that story. You wake up a little bit earlier to read the book and stay up too late to finish it. I am excited to show people my portrayal of Rachel next summer.”
The international phenomenon – which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and inspired the Dreamworks film starring Emily Blunt – enjoyed a box-office record-breaking theatrical tour in 2019.
Laura joins the tour in Brighton, Theatre Royal (3 – 7 Jun 2025) before touring to Milton Keynes Theatre (10 – 14 June 2025); Malvern Theatres, (17 – 20 June 2025); His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen (24 – 28 June 2025); Leeds, Grand Theatre (1 – 5 July 2025); Inverness, Eden Court (8 – 12 July 2025); Mold, Theatr Clwyd (15 – 19 July 2025); Southampton, Mayflower Theatre (22 – 26 July 2025); Belfast, Grand Opera House (12 – 16 August 2025); Cork, Everyman Theatre (19 – 23 August 2025); Dublin, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (26 – 30 August 2025).
Laura Whitmore trained at the Leinster School of Music and Drama, studied Shakespeare at RADA and holds a degree in Journalism from Dublin City University.
She wrote and starred in the short film Sadhbh for which she won The Ros Hubbard Award for acting in 2019. She toured in the role of Cleo in Peter James’ Not Dead Enough in 2017. Her film/TV acting credits include Queenie, Hulu’s Four Weddings and a Funeral, 4.3.2.1 and Storage 24. Her first lead in a feature film ‘A Mother For An Hour’ is out later this year as well as interactive sci fi thriller ‘Hello Stranger’ starring Sir Derek Jacobi. In 2022 she made her West End debut as Jenny in 2.22: A Ghost Story and returned home to play Lauren in its limited Dublin run in 2024.
She is a successful radio and television broadcaster best known for hosting MTV and the Bafta-winning ‘Love Island’, the ‘I’m A Celebrity’ spin-off show, Celeb Juice and her own breakfast show on ITV. She launched her documentary Laura Whitmore Investigates in 2023 and is currently working on a new documentary series. This year she also embarked on Comic Relief’s ‘Snow Way Back’ Arctic Trek to raise vital funds for Red Nose Day which can be seen in a primetime BBC1 documentary.
She currently hosts BBC Podcast, Murder They Wrote alongside Iain Stirling. She started her TV career in 2008 winning MTV’s Pick me MTV and becoming the face of MTV Europe for almost a decade. She has interviewed some of the biggest musical artists and actors in the world.
In March 2021 she released her first book, ‘No One Can Change Your Life Except For You’ which has gone on to become a Sunday Times Bestseller.
Produced by Simon Friend Entertainment and Josh Andrews Productions, the Wiltshire Creative Production of The Girl on the Train is written by Paula Hawkins, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, and is directed by Loveday Ingram.
