Rachel Wagstaff
Writer
Photograph: Eilwen Jones
Film, TV & Theatre
Film, TV & Theatre
Rachel Wagstaff wrote the book for Flowers for Mrs Harris which transferred to Chichester Festival Theatre, directed by Daniel Evans, after premiering at the Sheffield Crucible. The original production won the UK Theatre Award for Best Musical and the London premiere at Riverside Studios won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production. Her critically acclaimed adaptation of Birdsong opened in the West End, and will be revived for a record-breaking fifth UK tour with Original Theatre in autumn 2024.
With Duncan Abel she adapted Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code which toured the UK and made its US premiere at the Ogunquit Playhouse in 2023 and Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train, which had a record-breaking UK tour and West End run in 2019 and is now performed across the UK and beyond. Her adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d has enjoyed two UK tours and toured India.
She has multiple TV and feature film adaptations in development.
In Development
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
2025 | UK Tour/Simon Friend Entertainment | Co-Written with Duncan Abel |
2025 | Salisbury Playhouse/Mercury Theatre, Colchester | Co-Written with Duncan Abel |
2025 | Mill at Sonning | Co-Adapted with Duncan Abel from the novel by P.D. James |
2025 | Manchester International Festival | Co-written with Duncan Abel |
FEATURE ADAPTATION | Faculty Road | Adaptation of thriller novel |
FEATURE ADAPTATION | Trademark | Co-writer with Sebastian Faulks |
SERIES COMMISSION | Trademark Films/Atlantic Nomad | Adaptation of best-selling novel |
SERIES TREATMENT | Atlantic Nomad | Novel adaptation |
MUSICAL ADAPTATION COMMISSION | Sheffield Theatres | Music and Lyrics by Richard Taylor |
ADAPTATION COMMISSION | Aria Entertainment | Co-written with Duncan Abel |
Theatre
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
2024 | Mill at Sonning | Co-Adapted with Duncan Abel from the novel by Rebecca Netley |
2024 | Barn Theatre | Co-Written with Duncan Abel |
2024 | UK Tour/Original Theatre | Dir. Alastair Whatley |
2023 | Salisbury Playhouse | UK Regional Premiere |
2023 | Riverside Studios | London Premiere |
2023 | Ogunquit Playhouse | US Premiere |
2022 | Original Theatre Company/UK Tour | Dir. Philip Franks |
2021 | UK Tour | Co-written with Duncan Abel |
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN 2019 | UK Tour/Duke of York's Theatre | Co-Adapted with Duncan Abel from the novel by Paula Hawkins |
2019 | UK Tour | Adapted from the novel by Agatha Christie |
2018 | Chichester Festival Theatre | Music and Lyrics by Richard Taylor |
2013 - 2018 | Original Theatre Company | UK tour of revised version |
FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS 2016 | Sheffield Theatres | Music and Lyrics by Richard Taylor ★★★★★ ★★★★ |
ONLY THE BRAVE 2016 | Wales Millenium Centre | Music by Matthew Brind |
THE LAST TIME I SAW HER 2013 | Y Touring | |
THE MARTYR 2013 | Soho Theatre/Mountview | Original musical |
THAT GIRL 2012 | Soho Theatre/Oxford School of Drama | Dir. Vicky Jones |
MOONSHADOW 2012 | Princess Theatre, Melbourne | Co-written with Yusuf Islam. |
BIRDSONG 2010 | Comedy Theatre/CMP Productions | A stage version of Sebastian Faulks' novel |
MOONSHADOW 2009 | Catalogue Musicals/Cole Kitchenn | Co-written with Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) |
ONLY THE BRAVE 2008 | George Square Theatre, Edinburgh | Dir. Steve Marmion |
THE QUESTION 2007 | Sala Beckett Institute | International Playwriting Conference (Royal Court Representative) |
FULL TIME 2007 | Y Touring | Dir. Nigel Townsend |
THE APATHISTS 2006 | Theatre 503 | 12 short plays |
SHADOWS 2005 | Old Vic 24 Hour Plays | Dir. Adam Barnard |
VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE 2005 | The Hobbs Factory/Arcola Shortcuts Festival | Adaptation of Paul Coelho novel |
THE SOLDIER 2005 | Edinburgh Fringe/RADA | Dir. Gari Jones |
NIGHT SKY 2005 | Old Vic | Commissioned play for Index on Censorship. |
Radio
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
2013 | BBC Radio 4 | Original play (co-written with Duncan Abel), dir. Lucy Collingfod |
THE GIRL AT THE LION D'OR 2009 | BBC Radio 4 | Adaptation of Sebastian Faulks' novel |