REVIEW | Girl From The North Country UK Tour

Photo credit: Johan Persson

★★★★

Have you ever gone blind into a musical and come out completely swept away by the experience? That's what happened when I went to see playwright Conor McPherson's production of Girl From The North Country. The double Olivier and Tony award-winning musical is carved around the music of one of the greatest songwriters of all time. The result is staggering.

McPherson's musical is set in 1930s America during The Great Depression. However, you could probably say that watching this production was like potentially seeing history repeating itself. It offered us a stark glimpse of what could happen if things were to continue to go the way they are in today's world. 

This story sees a group of family and friends brought together in one space. We follow them as they navigate through the cold winter of 1934. They are faced with the hardship of financial difficulties, illness, becoming a parent and determining whether they have the will to continue during trying times.  There is an event which changes everything and will pull the carpet from beneath your feet. Although the story contains a lot of really gripping subject matter, the book itself feels quite flat. The second half has little exploration beneath the surface of these characters that would make this production stronger. There are so many fascinating characters in this musical but I feel we don't have enough time to really get to know them all. It is the music that carries this show for sure. 

Photo credit: Johan Persson

Photo credit: Johan Persson

Photo credit: Johan Persson

Bob Dylan's music is weaved into this story perfectly. His music is recognisable for its mix of political and social topics which cleverly works for this production. The impact is almost immediate and it's hard not to be pulled in every direction by this moving musical score.

The cast themselves are captivating from start to finish. Their portrayals of the characters and their hardships sticks with you throughout the Girl From The North Country. Their influences through voice for the musical numbers really moved this show and their limited choreography really added emphasis to their stage presence. It was Frances McNamee who played the role of Elizabeth Laine that was particularly moving. Her dive into a character who has dementia was really emotive and accompanied by an incredible vocal ability that lifted the roof off the Theatre Royal. We did experience ensemble members Nichola Macevilly, Neil Stewart and Owen Lloyd giving exceptional cover performances of the night. Although my heart truly broke for Justina Kehinde's character who had to observe and experience the struggles of being a woman of colour in 1930s America. 

Girl From The North Country is a musical of emotional charge. I would definitely see it again! 

For further ticket information about Girl From The North Country head over to the website.