Girl From North Country

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Date Reviewed: 26/05/2022

At the Comedy Theatre, on a chilly wet Thursday night in post-lockdown Melbourne, there was a subdued feeling outdoors. This was in stark contrast to the last time I was there pre-Covid for the adrenaline whirlwind that was Come From Away.
Girl from the North Country bore strong similarities of storytelling within a community. Not Gander 9/11, but here Duluth, Minnesota 1934.

There is a joy in well-written community ensemble pieces, as exemplified by Porgy and Bess, and a piece I was the composer for, based on Langston Hughes's writings of a Harlem community in the 50s called Simply Heavenly, originally at the Young Vic, pre-West End transfer.

There in Harlem, the community congregated at Paddy’s Bar, a black version of Cheers that served as the backdrop for the tales,trials and tribulations of the community. Here, in 1934, a guest house in a small struggling tumbledown community with truly quirky characters, and a gifted triple threat ensemble, led by Nick the proprietor played by Peter Kowitz, and his deranged wife played by Lisa  McCune.

A cast of 19 and 4 musicians set about a run-down set with beaten-up instruments including a boudoir upright piano and beaten-up 50s Premier drum kit, which had seen better days and would have been no stranger to a Tom Waits circus sideshow of freaks and losers. But here, the all acting, singing, and some simple but effective dance and actor/musician types celebrated REINVENTION. The star collaboration was between the legendary, timeless, indomitable Bob Dylan and the truly reimagined arrangements by arranger Simon Hale. Soul, gospel, folk and West End voices blended in a total choral reinvention of Dylan's classics set over a violin-led, folksy quartet. The convention of going full female doo-wops while dancing a reinvented tango to then interrupt a song with no prep into the next reinvention was glorious. No lingering for applause.

Mamamia has a lot to answer for in terms of radical reshaping of the jukebox musical. It used ABBA’s back catalog like the score was written for the story and narrative of the show. Hit after hit. Al performed pretty much as we remembered and loved them. Here, some obscure songs, no Blowin’ in the Wind, God on Our Side, Times they are a Changing, but blatant merging, gospeling, souling and picking cutting editing what was required. Much pathos, and wit, as Nick says “ don’t ambush me for my double standards”. So much to enjoy and admire.

Director/writer Irish Conor McPherson known in the UK for the Weir, Port Authority amongst others, unveiled this piece in the Cut, Waterloo at the Old Vic, while I was across the way with David Lan at the Young Vic. The piece has traveled far and wide and been cruelly interrupted by a nasty world virus but resurfaced touchingly, humorously, and delightfully at the Comedy Theatre. Go and check it out and enjoy Dylan through entirely new ears!

Reviewed by Warren Wills