🎭 The Girl On the Train
🗓️ 9 May 2025 to 25 May 2025
📍 Mountview Theatre, Macedon
🎟️ themountplayers.com
Clare McCulloch’s journey into acting is one defined by courage, rediscovery, and an unwavering love for storytelling. From an early age, Clare felt a natural connection to performance. Whether staging impromptu shows in the living room or standing on a stage under the open sky, the act of telling stories made sense to her in a way that nothing else did. Despite her early confidence and comfort in front of an audience, fear held her back from pursuing acting professionally. The thought of forgetting lines or not being “good enough” lingered in the background, quietly pushing her in other directions. She followed a career in fashion design and management, but the desire to act never truly disappeared.
Everything changed in 2020 when the world slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of the blue, an old agent reached out, offering Clare a background role on NBC’s La Brea, filming locally in Heskett, Victoria. That four-month experience was nothing short of life-changing. Being on set every day reminded Clare of the joy and energy she had long associated with performance. It was the nudge she needed to make a serious shift. She enrolled in full-time acting training at Film and Television International, gaining the technical skills and confidence that now support her growing body of work.
Since then, Clare has immersed herself in the world of acting, working on high-profile screen productions such as Better Man and Shantaram, acting in various short films like Lap Time, Mr. Forgetful, and Dice’n with Death, and featuring in television commercials. Through it all, she’s kept learning, seeking out coaches and workshops to keep her craft sharp. For Clare, staying curious and open to growth is essential. She knows that complacency is the enemy of creativity and believes passionately in continuous development.
Now, she’s stepping into her most demanding role yet: Rachel Watson in The Girl on the Train with The Mount Players. The role is emotionally intense—Rachel is a woman battling addiction, heartbreak, and the disorienting fog of trauma. Clare admits that the process of stepping into Rachel’s shoes each night is exhausting, but deeply rewarding. She draws on her own experiences with truth, memory, and emotional vulnerability to bring authenticity to the performance. It’s this kind of emotional excavation that makes theatre so powerful, not just for the actors but for the audience as well.
Clare speaks candidly about the immersive nature of this particular production. With carefully crafted sound design, lighting effects, and an atmospheric set, the audience isn’t just watching the story unfold—they’re living it with the characters. The play challenges viewers to question their perceptions, unravel layered narratives, and confront uncomfortable truths, all within the intimate setting of the Mountview Theatre.
What shines through when Clare speaks is her genuine joy in doing what she loves. For her, acting isn’t about fame or glamour—it’s about connection. It’s about stepping into another life, exploring the emotional terrain of that character, and inviting the audience to take the journey with her. She talks about the thrill of live performance—the heartbeat before a scene, the silence in the room when the story grips the crowd, the sense of shared humanity that theatre can offer.
Clare McCulloch’s path into acting hasn’t been straight, but it’s been true. She is a living example that it’s never too late to change course, to commit to your passions, and to do the work it takes to thrive creatively. Her story is not only inspiring for aspiring performers but also a testament to the transformative power of art, and the way it can heal, challenge, and unite.
