Girl from the North Country – Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring

Picture: Johan Persson

Girl From The North Country continues at Milton Keynes Theatre until 19 November 2022 and then tours until 18 March 2023.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Bob Dylan’s iconic songs are transformed into a powerful musical written and directed by the celebrated playwright Conor McPherson. Girl From The North Country opened to a full auditorium at Milton Keynes Theatre and looks set to attract a buzzing crowd throughout the week.

Set in heartland America in 1934, the story focuses on an ageing guesthouse and the diverse, wayward characters that pass through its doors. From the Laine family with mentally unstable mother, Elizabeth Laine (Frances McNamee), her struggling husband, Nick (Colin Connor), their lost and lazy son Gene (Gregor Milne) and adopted Marianne (Justina Kehinde), who is pregnant and unmarried.

There’s also Mrs Neilsen (Maria Omakinwa) who is having an affair with Nick, while she boards at the guesthouse awaiting her husband’s inheritance. The Burke family (Rebecca Thornhill and James Staddon) are running away from an unknown crime involving their son (Ross Carswell) who has learning difficulties. The list goes on, but it’s safe to say that they’re a troubled and unhappy bunch.

The acting by the multi-talented cast is phenomenal, with powerful performances and heart-wrenching singing voices. All of the characters are complex and serious roles to play and the cast exudes professionalism throughout. It’s difficult to choose a standout performance, as all members demonstrate superb acting skills, but for me McNamee as Elizabeth steals the show, producing a few moments of laughter and light relief during the intense storytelling.

The set and props which loosely mimic the inside of the guesthouse are raw and rugged, matching perfectly the aesthetic, feel and mood of the show. The simplicity of the set also leaves room for the strong performances to shine. It is a particularly nice touch for the musicians to remain on stage; again, providing another opportunity to show off the multi-talented skills of the entire cast.

Whether you’re a Bob Dylan fan or not, this is a moving tale of woe and demise that sets a different tone to lighter musical theatre productions. One to knuckle-down and get engrossed in; it’s easy to see why the piece was such a success during its London runs. It’s hard to deny the talent and skill at play in the creation of Girl From The North Country as well as in this cast that brings the characters and narrative to life.

Hannah Grimmette