Girl from the North Country contains three or four intertwining stories. These are slight, almost sketches really, but are beautifully told so that we care about the people we see on stage. It contains about twenty songs from Dylan’s back catalogue. These are used, in an abstract way, to accentuate the drama rather than to move the narrative forward. It would be misleading to call this a musical, it is more a play with musical accompaniment.
The prose and the songs complement each other very well. Given the quality of the cast, the strength of the acting is no surprise. The singing, orchestration and choreography are the revelation. There are some amazing voices in the ensemble. Shirley Henderson and Jack Shalloo, in particular, shock when they sing, but every song is delivered well. The impact of a downtrodden, beaten character suddenly opening their vocal cords is not to be underestimated. Even the songs that I already knew, appeared to be given new life in the context of the play.
The reception of the audience was good, it is not too often that the whole audience stands at the end. I enjoyed this show, Conor McPherson and Bob Dylan are a combination that go together very well.
The London Lark! 
Would love to see this. Girl from the North Country is one of my favorite Dylan songs.
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I don’t think that the story has much to do with the song, but the song is in the show and it is a great show.
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As it’s set in a boarding House,in Duluth, Minnesota, I think it’s a very clever device to introduce the characters by their back stories which unfold throughout the narrative & it’s executed well
by Conor McPherson.allowing the viewer to eavesdrop into the interaction. We realise that each character has a story to reveal which interacts with the trauma happening within the Laine household & their struggle for ‘survival’. I agree totally regarding the strength of the singer/actors~ their performances are nothing short of #Amazing, each putting their own indelible print onto the prose of Bob Dylan. Shirley Henderson gave a very nuanced performance, flitting through the vagaries in her mind, whimsical, wild & unusual. Poignant & powerful renditions of ‘I Want You’, ‘Like A Rollin’Stone’ & ‘Make You Feel My Love’, left me dewy-eyed. Kudos to Arinze Kene who delivered the lyrics to ‘Hurricane’ Sheila Atim’s voice is right on the money, together with vocals from Debbie Kurup, who gave a killer performance in ‘Anything Goes’. Sam Reid as Gene & Claudia Jolly as Katherine broke hearts with their duet.
Some delicious repartee expertly delivered by Ciarán Hinds as Nick Laine provided moments of light relief ~
”Don’t confuse me with my own double standards’ … which was a ‘hit’. Ciarán Hinds says he does n’t get asked to do comedy, but his satirical delivery is ‘spot-on’ & there were a few little ‘gems’ sprinkled throughout the narrative. As for audience reception, I’d say ‘exceptional’~ a few standing ovations and the audience on their feet applauding & whistles throughout the theatre. My daughter was beside herself & thought it was the best play she’d ever seen, alongside another McPherson play she saw @ the Donmar ‘The Night Alive’ She would buy the soundtrack to Girl From The North Country, Yes, it was that #Good….If you see just #One play this year, make it this one!
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Wow! A lovely review, puts my short one to shame. Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks for that Nick~ It was a response to your review& there ain’t nothing wrong with your review either! I will be doing a WPPost on GFTNC as soon as I get minute! Thanks, I appreciate the kind words.
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Thanks for this. I hadn’t even heard about it–and I haven’t thought about the song in an age, so thanks for reminding me of it.
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It is a great play, if you make it to London…..and big change from dwile flonking in Norfolk, no doubt!
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We trekked up there earlier in the month to see Angels in America, which was amazing. Not a dwile flonker in sight. But what I was going to say is that, unfortunately, we’re not likely to head up there for another while.
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Wasn’t Angels in America fantastic! Did you see them both in 1 day? A marathon, but brilliant!
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Sorry–I’ve run out of reply buttons, but no, we tried to get tickets on the same day but it all got screwed up and we ended up with different days. But we’d seen it in the U.S., when it first opened. A few actors, I thought, were better in the original and others better this time around, but the production overall was fantastic.
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