Celebrated musical Girl from the North Country, which is due to appear at Norwich Theatre between 28 Feb – 4 Mar, is also set for the silver screen. The movie version of the musical will see Chlöe Bailey, Olivia Colman, and Woody Harrelson all appear.
Conor McPherson, who wrote and directed the musical, will also write and direct the movie. The show is set in 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota, where the lives of a group of wayward travellers intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life and hope. As the Great Depression kicks into high gear and winter takes the city in its icy grip, everyone at the failing boarding house is grappling with disillusionment and loneliness. Standing at a turning point in their lives, they search for a future and hide from the past. Instead, they find themselves facing unspoken truths about the present.
The story is beautifully expressed through the songs of one Bob Dylan. Conor McPherson boldly reimagines Dylan’s songs in provocative new dramatic contexts. The musical includes hit songs like Forever Young, Make You Feel My Love, and Like A Rolling Stone.
What’s more, the musical has got Dylan’s approval. Bob Dylan said at the opening of the Broadway production: “To be associated with Conor is one of the highlights of my professional life. It goes without saying the man is a genius for putting this thing together, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the experience. My songs couldn’t be in better hands.”
Speaking about transforming Dylan’s songs into a musical, McPherson said: “We try and wrap our story around his music. Often I think of them as parables from the Bible, in a way, all the little stories that are in the show. They are on a simple, human level rather than being big political statements. It’s Dylan’s artistry that transforms it all into something meaningful.”
McPherson has nothing but praise for the creative free rein that Dylan has afforded him, leaving the writer to select the songs he wanted to include in the show. “I listened to everything and thought I’d see what spoke to me. The ones I latched onto I brought in. It had to be that kind of instinctive, personal feeling.”
Girl from the North Country derives its unique power from strong emotional responses, which is why the Observer named it the No.1 Theatre show of the year.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see Girl From The North Country at Norwich Theatre Royal before its premier on the silver screen. As we all know, everything is better on stage.
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