I saw this Musical as it strolled into Birmingham at the Alexandra Theatre. It was my wildcard entry, I didn’t know much about Bob Dylan and didn’t look at reviews. I just decided to go for it and try it, a theatregoer should be open minded.
I loved the technical aspects of this show, the lighting was superb and the seamless transition between sets was fantastic. Even when the family cooked their dinner on the large family table, I did sense a smell of stew.
This musical had more dialogue than I expected but this did not detract from the show. A few musicals have weak storylines, but this production had a strong storyline and left me wanting more as the show progressed.
I heard a few mumbles from people near me who felt they couldn’t hear the narrator of the story clearly but whilst he did have an american accent, I could understand what he said.
I also understood all the lines from the cast.
This production does feature Bob Dylan’s music but is not a story based on Bob Dylan’s life. It is set in the 1930’s Great Depression era in the USA. The story itself is very emotional and gripping at times. The acting and singing ability were top notch. In terms of storyline and how it makes you feel was amongst the best I had seen. The musicians ( live on stage) were superb. It had a sense of Fisherman’s Friends to me.
There were standout performances from cast members and notable mentions must go to
Joshua C Jackson who played Joe Scott
Eli James who played Reverend Marlowe
Justina Kehinde who played Marianne
Eve Norris who played Katherine Draper and finally Frances McNamee who played Elizabeth Laine.
Each of these performers played their parts absolutely fantastic, they played in part very vulnerable characters with tact. I felt I was part of the living room during the performances.
I’d loved Marianne’s character however to have been longer on stage and her final appearance could have been changed for the better I think.
I was memorized by France McNamee’s performance, it was such an unique voice and was totally blown away by her. The rest of the characters were also amazing, alongside the ensemble/musicians.
This show is on tour so I would give a recommendation to go see but please remember it’s based on Bob Dylan’s songs, not his own life!
Girl From The North Country Tickets | Official Show Website (girlfromthenorthcountryshow.com)