We take a look at what is being said about the Old Vic’s revival of the play with music.
Broadway World: *** “But the music is so obviously good that it carries it. The cast blast out tunes from the depth of their lungs. Katie Brayben goes all guns blazing for her rendition of “Like a Rolling Stone”. Sit back and let Dylan do the heavy lifting. As the big man sung: “Don’t Think Twice, it’s Alright.””
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “Individual moments capture the attention as Rae Smith’s sepia-hued sets slide into place, and there’s no denying the ability of the company to bring an audience to its feet. But eight years hasn’t on this occasion ripened the original – proof positive that, in art as often as in life, you can’t go home again.”
Time Out: **** “There’s real humour too – in the timing, the delivery, and the absurdity of it all. It’s very much a ‘if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’ kind of situation. The second half ratchets up both the celebration and the grief. Connections splinter, and the ending comes quickly and lands heavily, giving the sense that there are just too many characters, with not quite enough tying them together.”
All That Dazzles: *** “McPherson’s direction features some great choices, using a simple but effective set design from Rae Smith that helps make the segues from dialogue to music more seamless. Though the content of the music in relation to the story can appear clunky, the way McPherson has characters move into musical performance mode glosses it up slightly, making it easier to forgive the clunkiness.”
The Stage: ***** “Triumphant return for impressionistic Depression-era Bob Dylan musical.”
The Reviews Hub: *** “The Girl From The North Country succeeds as a showcase for Dylan’s musical genius and McPherson’s theatrical vision, but falls short of the emotional impact its ambitious premise promises. It’s a beautiful, technically accomplished production that keeps you at arm’s length when it should be drawing you close.”
The Arts Desk: *** “It remains a curious and unique piece, at once overly familiar (take you pick from Williams, Steinbeck, Miller or even Chekhov as inspirations) but also continually surprising. The songs don’t tell the story, as they largely do in conventional musical theatre, instead they act as illustrations of mood, character and place, a little like dance’s function in ballet.”
The Upcoming: **** “Slight narrative shortcomings aside, Girl from the North Country is one part homage to the songwriting prowess of Bob Dylan and an equal part meditation on the American class tragedy. With spectacular performances and faultless musical numbers, it’s a jukebox musical like no other – and all the better for it.”
London Unattached: **** “Girl From The North Country is a production that Bob Dylan fans will relish – a mix of drama, music, and terrific singing.”
London Theatre Reviews.co.uk: **** “But you would not expect a jukebox of Bob Dylan’s songs from the north country to work flawlessly because that would be too Broadway. It is a little clunky but in a very, very charming way.”
British Theatre Guide: “But that’s part of the charm; there’s a slow and stoic beauty to the staging that makes it strangely engaging as it meanders through its own bleakness. A snapshot of a time, place and atmosphere, the people long gone but the poetry lingering.”
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