Girl from the North Country at the Old Vic
Bob Dylan probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind alongside “jukebox musical”. The legendary singer-songwriter first rose to fame in the Woody Guthrie mould of social commentary-infused folk artiste, but it’s that very salt-of-the-earth approach that underscores Girl from the North Country. Following its debut at the Old Vic in 2017, Conor McPherson’s Depression-set musical is back and bolder than ever.
Patriarch Nick Laine (Colin Connor) runs a guesthouse amid the spectre of foreclosure. His wife, Elizabeth (Katie Brayben), is suffering from a mysterious malady that would today be recognised as a serious mental illness. She flounders in her husband’s presence, but flourishes during interactions with her caring adoptive daughter, Marianne (Justina Kehinde), whom the family took in after she was abandoned as a baby. The Laines’s son, Gene (Colin Bates), dreams of being a writer, but to the dismay of his father, spends his days penning novellas (or very long short stories, as he calls them) in a bar. Various characters enter and fade from the guesthouse, including the glamorous Mrs Neilsen (Maria Omakinwa), with whom Nick has been having a less-than-clandestine affair.
McPherson’s direction and the dusty set design brilliantly capture the Rust Belt aesthetic that has come to define Dylan. The music leans heavily into gospel, country and even soul. Seeing as many of Dylan’s songs have become standards that are hallmarks of classic songwriting – having been made famous by everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Adele – his music can be reinterpreted for almost any setting. Joe Scott (Sifiso Mazibuko), an ex-boxer who lodges at the Laine house with self-professed bible salesman Reverend Marlow (Eugene McCoy), gives a stirring rendition of Hurricane. Mazibuko shines through his incredible vocal control and commanding stage presence.
Amid a formidable ensemble cast, Brayben stands out, flitting between the tragic and the comedic as a woman whose illness has caused her to be viewed as a write-off by her husband. Her performance of Forever Young is achingly beautiful in its resigned yet evocative delivery. Likewise, Omakinwa, engulfed in light against a dark stage, soars during Pressing On, her vocals elevating the chorus to a haunting climax.
The plot is a tad by-the-numbers Depression-era drama, and there are some undeveloped plot points. An uncharacteristic moment sees Gene hurl racial slurs at Joe, a provocation that’s revealed to be a masochistic ruse to goad Joe into beating him. While this moment of visceral self-loathing is expertly acted by Bates and Mazibuko, it also never develops further, and Gene goes on to have a warm heart-to-heart with his adoptive Black sister. With this jarring tonal shift, the play effectively belies an attempt to fully address the racism that Gene’s rural upbringing has inculcated.
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.
Antonia Georgiou
Photos: Manuel Harlan
Girl from the North Country is at the Old Vic from 24th June until 23rd August 2025. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.
Watch the trailer for Girl from the North Country at the Old Vic here:
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