A gripping stage adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's psychological thriller, where two strangers meet on a train and plot a perfect crime.
Strangers on a Train comes to the Theatre Royal Brighton from 6 to 10 April 2027, as part of its UK tour. It's a stage adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1950 psychological thriller, the same story that inspired Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 film. The play was adapted by Craig Warner, who first brought the novel to radio in 2004 and then to the stage in 2013. This particular production is dedicated to his memory, as he passed away earlier this year; producer David Gilbery described Warner's writing as "elegant, gripping and profoundly theatrical."
The story follows Guy Haines, who meets Charles Bruno on a train. Haines confides that he wants to divorce his unfaithful wife, Miriam, while Bruno reveals he wants to get rid of his father, who sits on a large fortune. Bruno proposes they "swap murders" — the perfect crime, since the police would never link either man to the other's crime because of a complete lack of motive. It's a classic setup that works just as well on stage as it does on the page or screen.
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Directing the production is Roxana Silbert, who brings a lot of experience to the role: she's a former Artistic Director of Paines Plough, Birmingham Rep and Hampstead Theatre, and was once an Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The show runs two hours and 45 minutes with one interval, and it's touring the UK, so Brighton is one of several stops on its way around. It'll be playing at the Theatre Royal from 6 to 10 April 2027.
