First Kara, now sister Hannah Tointon stars in Grand Opera House thriller as Strangers On A Train arrives

Presented by Ambassador Theatre Group and Smith and Brant Theatricals, the thriller best known for Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 film takes to the stage in a version by Craig Warner, wherein a fateful encounter takes place between two men in the dining carriage of a train crossing America.

Guy Haines is the successful businessman with a nagging doubt about the fidelity of his (first) wife Miriam. Charles Bruno is a cold, calculating chancer with a dark secret. A daring and dangerous plan develops from this casual conversation, setting in motion a chain of events that will change the two men’s lives forever.

Christopher Harper plays the charismatic, manipulative, psychopathic playboy Charles Bruno; Jack Ashton, the troubled stranger Guy Haines. Hannah Tointon stars as Guy’s fiancee, Anne Faulkner, after her role as American-accented Violet alongside sister Kara in Mr Selfridge, while Harrogate actor John Middleton will be Detective Arthur Gerard in his first role since concluding his 20-year soap stretch as vicar Ashley Thomas in Emmerdale.

"Anne is from upstate New York; Guy is from Texas; John Middleton's character is from Iowa, and we've all had sessions with a voice coach. I'm a bit worried the audience will think, 'oh, they're all doing different accents', but actually the accents are correct!" says Hannah.

Guy and Anne, who becomes his second wife, have a "lovely relationship" at the beginning of the play. "But then she knows there's something wrong, but is kept completely in the dark.

Hannah Tointon and Strangers On A Train co-star John Middleton at York Station. Picture: David Harrison/Grand Opera House, York

"She basically represents good in the story because her relationship with Guy is the antidote to the toxic relationship Guy has with Bruno, where he has a fear of the truth, feels trapped and can't tell anyone about the plan," says 30-year-old Hannah.

She has not seen Hitchcock's film. "Anthony Banks, our director, said not to watch it, and I'm told it's completely different. I'll watch it later. I have' read the book and loved it; I really enjoy psychological thrillers; Patricia Highsmith is a wonderfully dark writer and I just love her writing," she says. "The script is close to the book and that's what Anthony said we should go by."

Seeking inspiration for her upstate New York accent, Hannah says: "I've tried to find different people, like Jane Fonda in Barefoot In The Park; I like her 'sparkliness', I like her voice. Anne is very social, very liberal, and there's maybe a hint of Grace Kelly but that's a different style!"

Analysing the appeal of Highsmith's story, Hannah says: "I think it's the suspense we like. Maybe we like being scared; maybe it makes us feel better about our cosy lives, imagining ourselves in this chilling situation, though there must be something escapist about it too.

"The television programmes I watch all have that quality, and though I don't like scary movies, I love psychological thrillers like this one, which is plausible where one conversation with a stranger can lead to a complete nightmare."

After Strangers On A Train, look out for Hannah's next appearance this summer in The Festival, a comedy film she made last September with director Ian Morris. "It's something completely different to this play, set at a music festival, not Glastonbury, but on those lines," she says. "I play Londoner Caitlin, the girlfriend of the lead character, who's played by Joe Thomas, my partner in real life as it happens.

"Will she still be the girlfriend at the end? Well, you'll have to watch the film!"

Strangers On A Train runs at Grand Opera House, York, from tonight (Monday) to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york