Music/Lyrics: Bob Dylan
Writer/Director: Conor McPherson
Inspired and created from the lyrics of Bob Dylan, it would be easy to assume Girl from the North Country would be yet another Jukebox musical doing the rounds. The combination of the script, setting, and standout cast however show that it’s here to prove itself as so much more.
Set in 1930s American heartland the narrative shows us the lives of a series of drifting wayward souls who cross paths for a time at a wintery guesthouse owned by Elizabeth and Nick Laine in Duluth, Minnesota. Each at a turning point in their own lives ready to determine the future ahead they, in turn, must face that nothing is what it seems, and there are truths they must find before they can move on.
This is an ensemble show, with each performer needing to bring something of their own to the stage, and this cast certainly doesn’t disappoint. Every member of the cast was strong in their performance, bringing something to the guesthouse, but the standout performances are surely Frances McNamee as Elizabeth Lane and Justina Kehinde as Marianne Laine. Elizabeth, trapped in a home and a marriage she wanted out of when she was well, suffers from dementia and is played by McNamee with poise, grace, and comedy perfectly. Her movement in the ensemble numbers is utterly captivating and adds depth to the character which draws the audience to her. Elizabeth’s adopted daughter, Marianne, is in turn brought to life by Kehinde with an authenticity and conviction which is truly something special to watch. Her performance is raw, powerful, and captivating whenever she is on stage.
What sets this show apart is, as to be expected, the music. It is not, however, perhaps in the way you might expect. Where other Jukebox musicals almost mark out the change from narrative to a well-known song with the performer taking a step away from the action, Girl from the North Country intertwines the music into the narrative giving the characters life and depth. Simon Hale’s arrangements of classic Bob Dylan are unexpected and exceptional; the song choices stretch over fifty years and includes hymns, spirituals, dance anthems, and any number of other musical styles to fit the characters and add to their stories.
This show is not a glittery jukebox musical. It is a woven series of heart-rending tales brought to an emotional peak with wonderful arrangements of perfectly selected lyrics. This is not a musical about Bob Dylan’s music, it is a musical about a series of beautiful stories brought together by his music and it is entirely unmissable.
Runs Until: 4 March 2023