Girl from the North Country

An Olivier Award-winning musical, Girl from the North Country was originally written by legendary American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan. The productions made its premiere at the Old Vic Theatre in 2017, and following a sell-out run, it transferred to West End. It went on to make an Off-Broadway premiere the following year and is all set to debut at Broadway in 2020. It has been hailed by critics as one of the most powerful and original musicals to be showcased at West End.

Bob Dylan’s music is renowned for incorporating a vast range of social, political and literary influences. One of the best-selling music artists of all time, he is a winner of an astonishing 10 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. The director, Conor McPherson wonderfully brings Dylan’s soulful tunes to the stage. Called one of the finest English playwrights of this generation by New York Times critic, Ben Brantley, McPherson’s staging works spectacularly well with the classic American ballads by Dylan. Do not miss this incredibly sorrowful and endearing musical that is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings!

The Story

It is the year 1934 and America is in the midst of the Great Depression. The Laine family, consisting of Nick, his wife Elizabeth, their son, Gene and their adopted daughter Marianne is struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Marianne is pregnant, and the identity of the father is a closely guarded secret. Elizabeth is suffering from dementia, and she often has childlike outbursts that make it difficult to manage her. Gene, on the other hand, veers between wanting to become a writer and going on terrible alcoholic binges. Gene is also jilted by Kate as a result of his habits, and she announces that she is going to marry someone with better prospects.

The Laine family open their home to those who are down on their luck. Nick tries to keep everything afloat, and everyone is desperate to turn their fortunes around. Late one night, a bible salesman and a struggling boxer arrive at the doorstep of the Laine family, looking for shelter. Will their arrival act as a catalyst to change the fate of everyone in the house? Will Nick Laine find a way to make it all work out in the end?

Good For

Lovers of Dramas | Fans of Bob Dylan

Critics Review

"Forget every knee-jerk resistance you've ever felt toward the idea of a jukebox musical, this is a completely different animal." - Hollywood Reporter

This tension between the narrative at the surface and the psycho-biographical just beneath is on display in the musical “Girl from the North Country.” - The New Yorker