It's time for my review of Girl from the North Country.Girl from the North Country has been on my radar for a fair amount of time after seeing several posters for it planted across London. After the news that it had been nominated for 5 Olivier Awards, I watched a few clips of the show and I soon became determined to see it before its run in the West End had ended. Due to the fact that it had received a string of 5 star reviews, I knew that it was going to be good, but little did I know how incredible it would actually be. Girl from the North Country may very well be one of the best musicals that has been written for the West End stage.
Girl from the North Country is set in Duluth, Minnesota in 1934. A community living on a knife-edge huddle together in the local guesthouse. The owner, Nick, owes more money than he can ever repay, his wife Elizabeth is losing her mind and their daughter Marianne is carrying a child no-one will account for. When a preacher selling bibles and a boxer looking for a comeback show up in the middle of the night, things start to spiral beyond the point of no return. Conor McPherson's writing is remarkable and has a way of transporting each and every member of the audience directly to the lives of the characters and back to the days of the Great Depression, which is done so by creatively combining Bob Dylan's music with his intriguing characters and story. Each and every role in Girl from the North Country are absolutely fascinating in their own individual right. They all display signs of both kindness and cruelty, with McPherson clearly demonstrating that there is no such thing as 'good' and 'bad', and perhaps things are not always what they appear to be. The story has layer, upon layer, upon layer; it is one that could be endlessly analysed.
Instead of using music to further the storyline, the characters use the music of Bob Dylan to express their feelings and emotions, and by doing so, they are able to capture the hearts of the audience. I had never actually heard any of Bob Dylan's music before entering the theatre, so I was experiencing all of this beautiful music for the first time ever whilst watching Girl from the North Country. Similarly to many audience members, the songs truly touched my heart. The orchestra is compiled of both cast members who play their own instruments and three musicians who sit at the back of the stage. The orchestrations are outstanding, and it really helped to make the music come alive.
The cast of Girl from the North Country are phenomenal, with each and every one of them giving a deep and meaningful performance. At the very heart of the musical is Ciarán Hinds, who portrays Nick Laine, the owner of the guesthouse where all of the characters reside. Hinds is an incredible actor; he is extremely captivating to watch, providing a backbone for the whole show from beginning to end. Shirley Henderson portrays his wife Elizabeth Laine, a character that is severely suffering with dementia. As someone who has personally experienced those with the same symptoms of dementia that the character has, I was struck by how life-like this performance was. Additionally, Henderson is also an outstanding singer, with her rendition of 'Like A Rolling Stone' being beautiful to listen to. In the role of their adopted daughter Marianne is Shelia Atim, who has been nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance in this role. Atim gives an extraordinarily heartfelt performance, and her rendition of 'Tight Connection To My Heart' had the audience spellbound; her voice is truly amazing. Completing this family is the son named Gene, who is played by Sam Reid. Both Sam's acting and singing are completely flawless, and his performance of 'I Want You' was an overall highlight of the entire show. Other cast members that stood out were Bronagh Gallagher, David Ganly, Adam James, Emmanuel Kojo (who was understudying for Arinzé Kene), Debbie Kurup, Finbar Lynch and last, but certainly not least, Jack Shalloo.
This production is exceedingly well-staged, which comes as a result of Conor Mcpherson's exceptional directing. It's clear that Conor McPherson's directorial skills match his writing ability. Two other aspects of Girl from the North Country which also deserve praise are the set design and the choreography. The set design of the 1930's Minnesota boarding house was well crafted, and definitely gave off the correct vibe for the time period. The choreography was sublime, making it one of the many spectacular aspects of Girl from the North Country.
This really is an outstanding musical; I cannot stress this enough. Girl from the North Country closes on the 24th of March, so if you haven't already done so, get your tickets now! Prior to 2017, I had always said that the West End was lacking in original musicals, but with shows such as Girl from the North Country, Groundhog Day and Everybody's Talking About Jamie gracing the West End stage, it seems that we're now on the right track.
The featured star of Girl from the North Country is, drum roll please... SHIRLEY HENDERSON!
With such a talented cast, this decision was never going to be easy. I changed my mind quite a few times on who should be given the title of 'featured star', but eventually I chose Shirley Henderson for the role. I can only begin to imagine what a difficult role to play this must be, but Henderson executes it flawlessly. Her portrayal is hauntingly life-like; this may just be one of the best performances in all the West End right now.
Now for my final verdict on Girl from the North Country. I give Girl from the North Country...
Girl from the North Country receives my rare 5-star rating! I cannot recommend it enough; it is simply phenomenal!
Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.
Thanks for reading!
-The Reviewer
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