At first glance Girl from the North Country may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not a jukebox musical, sure it has Dylan’s melodic and hypnotising songs and lyrics lovingly placed at the most poignant places, however, you don’t have to be an invested Bob fan to sit through the piece. I could give you a hundred and more reasons to go and see it. Instead, I set out below my top five justifications why you should. And believe me, you really should.
- It’s set in the midst of the Depression. There are similarities between then and now which ring startlingly true, even more so with the current state of political affairs. However, you leave the theatre with a deeper sense of understanding. At least of the play, if not of the current President.
- Dementia, as appallingly sad back then as it is now is a running theme. The sadness spills over how lucky we are to modern medicine able to deal with the onset of memory loss. How it affects Elizabeth, one half of the couple who run the guesthouse where our story is set.
- Nick and Elizabeth have an adopted daughter who is unmarried, pregnant and single. They also have a son who is labouring under the misapprehension that he is the next great thing in the literary world. Watch what happens when life serves you up a big plate of love and loss.
- The song list. A particular favourite of mine is Hurricane.
- The cast. Bronagh Gallagher reminds us all of her dulcet tones. However, stand out performance of the night goes to Sheila Atim. Her very soul is poured into the character that she has created and the standing ovation was richly deserved.
Girl from the North Country is a thought-provoking way to spend an evening in theatreland. You left counting your blessings as opposed to counting your problems, and if theatre can provide you to see the boundaries of your own life, then Girl From The North Country should be greatly applauded for bringing home the bacon.
Girl from the North Country tickets are available now through the end of the run March 24, 2018.