West End Wednesday: GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY

Girl from the North Country is a 2017 jukebox musical (though arguably more a play with songs), using the music of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

The story is set in a city in Minnesota during the winter of 1934 when America is in the clutches of the Great Depression. It centres on Nick Laine who runs a guesthouse with his family that is being threatened by the bank under foreclosure. Nick must find a way to save them from homelessness, whilst the arrival of two strangers during a storm and the other guests within the house and community start changing everything for everyone around them.

The production had its world premiere at The Old Vic, running from July-October 2017. The show featured nineteen of Bob Dylan’s songs, which were played by the cast on instruments in an actor-musician format. The instruments themselves were all from the 1930s to further contextualise the soundscape of the show.

The production was directed by its book-writer Conor McPherson and starred Sheila Atim as Marianne Laine, Shirley Henderson as Elizabeth Laine, Ciaran Hinds as Nick Laine and Debbie Kurup as Mrs Neilson. The production opened to rave reviews and was a critical success. The production then transferred to the Noel Coward Theatre, for a 12-week run with the majority of the cast reprising their roles. The production pretty much sold out and was again reviewed enthusiastically, garnering four 2018 Olivier Award nominations including ‘Best New Musical’, winning two for Atim and Henderson’s performances. 

The production then made its North American premiere in an Off-Broadway production at The Public Theater with an all-American cast that featured: Kimber Sprawl as Marianne Laine, Mare Winningham as Elizabeth Laine, Stephen Bogardus as Nick Laine and Jeanette Bayardelle as Mrs Neilson. Again, the production opened to positive notices and later a Broadway transfer was announced. With most of the cast reprising their roles, the show opened for previews at the Belasco Theatre on 7 February 2020. The show officially opened on 5 March but a week after, New York City’s stay-in-place order due to the COVID-19 pandemic came in place with immediate effect causing the show to close temporarily. 

The show also had Canadian premiere, playing the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto from 28 September to 24 November 2019. The cast included: Gloria Obianyo as Marianne Laine, Katie Brayben as Mrs Laine, Donal Sage Mackay as Nick Laine, and Rachel John as Mrs Neilson. Following this run, the production (using the same cast) transferred back into the West End at the Gielgud Theatre, returning for a limited nine week run. 

Besties, if you haven’t listened to this album you need to, it takes you to another world.

Available on streaming services. 

FACTS:

Music: Bob Dylan
Lyrics: Bob Dylan
Book:  Conor McPherson 

Theatre: The Noel Coward Theatre
Run: 29 December 2017 – 24 March (around 96 performances)