(God Save My) Northern Soul at Park Theatre Review
Written by Bronagh for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
This production contains themes of grief, loss and discussions of racism.
19-year-old Nicole lost her mum before her virginity, which she thinks is rather unfair. She finds herself inheriting a business, a house and a BMW and having to pick a grave. (God Save My) Northern Soul explores Nicole’s dealings with grief, dealing with the time period from her mum’s death up until her funeral, taking solace in something her mum very much loved – northern soul music.
Natasha Cottriall not only plays Nicole in this impressive one-hander, but she also wrote the show. Mixed race and growing up in Wigan, she is no stranger to being asked, ‘no, where are FROM from?’. Her late teenage years have been made up of college, deferring her first year of university and working in the fitting room of River Island. Nicole is a relatable character, and very likeable. We follow her doing the more normal daily tasks, doing a food shop, taking her gran to a vegan café, going on a night out and kissing a boy who just loves cheesy garlic bread. This bring normality to the grief process, whilst Nicole mentally grapples with an empty house, funeral plans and an influx of bills.
(God Save My) Northern Soul doesn’t particularly bring anything new to the stage when it comes to the story of grief and the early process, and truly is a breath of fresh air. Cottriall’s script flows extremely well, with her taking on various characters from her grandma, her best friend Sally, to a rather camp priest. She excels in the character of Nicole most of all, with dry wit and plenty of dark humour throughout. She makes for an extremely likeable character, who feels relatable in many ways, whether she’s cowering away from a spider to trying to explain falafel to a relative.
Set in 2010, (God Save My) Northern Soul does feature some early 00s pop (Calvin Harris anybody?) but also northern soul music, a favourite of Nicole’s mum. I would have quite liked for there to have been more exploration in the use of northern soul music and perhaps an exploration into why it meant so much to Nicole’s mum. We do know Nicole grew up in a predominantly white town with music at its heart, with the famous Wigan Casino all-night Northern Soul events taking place. I’d have been interested for this to be touched on slightly more, why this was such a big deal for those in Wigan perhaps.
(God Save My) Northern Soul has a lovely nostalgic feel to it, taking us back late teenage years, market stall bodycon dresses included. Cottriall’s performance is really lovely to watch, as she bravely attempts to navigate life without the safety of her mum. A brilliant production to watch and a solid overall crowdpleaser.
At the Park Theatre until 20th September 2025
★★★★
