It’s hard to believe that it’s been eight years since Girl From the North Country – Conor McPherson’s musical, using the songs of Bob Dylan – premiered at London’s Old Vic Theatre. It subsequently enjoyed successful runs on the West End and Broadway – picking up Olivier and Tony Awards along the way – and spawned numerous tours. The show has now returned to its former home, spending this summer back at the Old Vic.
So what’s it all about? Well, it’s not a cheery story: set during Great Depression-era America we find ourselves in the small town of Duluth. We are introduced to Nick (Colin Connor) who runs a boarding house and is struggling to get by. Nick has to support his unemployed son Gene (Colin Bates) who whiles away his time day drinking; his adopted daughter Marianne (Justina Kehinde) is pregnant and unmarried; and his wife Elizabeth (Katie Brayben) is increasingly ill. Around this family unit we meet a cast of characters, but no one is comfortable – everyone has their own struggles in this difficult time. Suffice to say this is not a feel-good musical, but there are plenty of bittersweet, poignant moments; at times the show is achingly beautiful.
Yes it features music from Bob Dylan’s song book, but this isn’t your typical jukebox musical. There has been renewed interest in Dylan’s songs following last year’s A Complete Unknown biopic, starring Timothée Chalamet as the renowned singer and songwriter, although Girl From the North Country is hardly a greatest hits set. Many will be familiar with ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ or ‘Make You Feel My Love’ (as covered by Adele) but the show is also full of deep cuts. Some songs are performed in full, many have snippets interwoven with the dialogue, others are more like incidental background music, with instrumental arrangements.
There are some stellar singing performances here – it’s an ensemble piece with numerous group numbers and a handful of solos. Much of the cast is drawn from previous productions and it shows – these are clearly performers who are familiar with the material and working each other. The performances are tight and the harmonies sound wonderful. While there isn’t really a ‘lead’ we felt we ought draw attention to Katie Brayben – in amongst a talented cast she stands out: her voice is incredible and her solo moments absolutely soar.
We enjoyed our evening with Girl From the North Country. The story is quite difficult – it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea – but there are some lovely moments and the music is superb. It’s great to have this show back.
GAY TIMES gives Girl From the North Country – 4/5
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