Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
"Conor McPherson, the Irish dramatist who gave us The Weir and Shining City, has a singular gift for making the ordinary glow with an extra dimension, like a gentle phosphorescence waiting to be coaxed into radiance."--Ben Brantley, The New York Times
In the throes of the Great Depression, a family in Duluth, Minnesota is teetering on the edge of collapse. Each member of the family is wondering where to turn, until one finally discovers a way out. From the widely lauded Irish dramatist known for his haunting tales of working class Ireland, Girl from the North Country uses many of the most-loved songs from the repertoire of Bob Dylan, giant of American folk music (and himself a native son of Duluth). Dylan's songs weave deftly in and out of this riveting narrative, producing a uniquely crafted play with music.
Featuring sixteen songs including: "Just Like a Woman," "I Want You," "Like a Rolling Stone," "Slow Train Coming," "Forever Young," "Ballad of a Thin Man," "Lovesick," "My Back Pages," "Hurricane," and others.
Bob Dylan's iconic career includes more than fifty years of music, legendary in the American folk and blues genre. His most famous albums include Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blood on the Tracks. Throughout his music career, Dylan has received ten Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, and most recently, he was honored with the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Conor McPherson's best known works include The Weir (1999 Olivier Award for Best New Play), Dublin Carol, The Seafarer, Shining City, Port Authority, and The Night Alive (New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play).
Synopsis
"The idea is inspired and the treatment piercingly beautiful . . . Two formidable artists have shown respect for the integrity of each other's work here and the result is magnificent." --Independent
"Bob Dylan's back catalogue is used to glorious effect in Conor McPherson's astonishing cross-section of hope and stoic suffering . . . It is the constant dialogue between the drama and the songs that makes this show exceptional." --Guardian
"Beguiling and soulful and quietly, exquisitely, heartbreaking. A very special piece of theatre." --Evening Standard
"A populous, otherworldly play that combines the hard grit of the Great Depression with something numinous and mysterious." --Telegraph
Duluth, Minnesota. 1934. A community living on a knife-edge. Lost and lonely people 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. So when a preacher selling bibles and a boxer looking for a comeback turn up in the middle of the night, things spiral beyond the point of no return . . .
In Girl from the North Country, Conor McPherson beautifully weaves the iconic songbook of Bob Dylan into a show full of hope, heartbreak and soul. It premiered at the Old Vic, London, in July 2017, in a production directed by the author.
Conor McPherson is an award-winning Irish playwright. His best-known works include The Weir (Royal Court; winner of the 1999 Olivier Award for Best New Play), Dublin Carol (Atlantic Theater Company) and The Seafarer (National Theatre).
Bob Dylan, born in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1941, is one of the most important songwriters of our time. Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. He released his thirty-ninth studio album, Triplicate, in April 2017, and continues to tour worldwide.