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THEATRE
Old Vic Theatre
103 The Cut
London, SE1 8NB
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SHOW TIMES
Opened: 12 Jul 2017
Booking from: 27 Sep 2017
Booking until: 07 Oct 2017
Duration: TBC
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  • jamesatwill 178 male 63 reviews 1 helpful vote
    80% total rating Girl From The North Country, 14th August 2017
    I'm not too familiar with Bob Dylan's songs (a bit before my time!) apart from the obvious few, but I had read some great reviews so thought I would give it a go. The performances were incredible - all of the songs were so beautifully sung, and I felt that most of them fitted in with the story pretty well. Special mention to Sheila Atim - the audience was in awe every time she sang. It's worth going to just to see this cast! The play on the other hand was a bit of a shambles - they introduced far too many characters and storylines in the first 20 minutes, many of which didn't actually go anywhere, or did anything to make you care about them. There were a few emotional moments for the main characters and these scenes were brilliantly acted. So overall for me these were 5 star performances of a 3 star play. I'm glad I got to see it, but won't be rushing back.
    Sat in Stalls K10
    For the current production (Girl From The North Country) this seat is advertised as 'premium' and has a hefty price tag (though i didn't pay the premium price for it, and I'm glad I didn't!). The seat is comfortable and the legroom is good, however the rake is pretty much non existent and the seat is not offset from the one in front. This meant that the person in front's head was in my way blocking a good portion of the stage, meaning I was constantly having to move around in my seat to see past them. If the person in front hadn't been there the view would have been excellent, so if you do book this seat just pray that you have a short person in front of you!
    K10 Stalls - Old Vic Theatre - Seat Review & View Photo
    View from Stalls K10
  • moley 5' 6'' male 83 reviews 2 helpful votes
    80% total rating Girl From The North Country, 21st July 2017
    Rather dark and monotone staging of this play with music. Although I am not a Bob Dylan follower I did enjoy this play that was written to embrace his music but I may have lost some of the subtleties of the juxtaposition of music to the play's action. The ensemble were excellent and many were versatile musicians as well as actors. For me the musical numbers were the best parts of the show with brilliant arrangements combined with the strong and melodious voices of the actors. I did not give this 5 stars because I didn't feel that the music and play totally worked together, the play on its own I found quite weak, and one character was miscast in my eyes. That being said I would go again just to hear the music.
    Sat in Stalls M15
    The seat padding is comfortable but the hard wooden armrests are extremely uncomfortable to get used to and I am not a big person at 5' 6'' and 32'' waist! The armrests being wooden are hard so you either have to tuck your arms into your sides or fight with your neighbour to rest your elbows on them which then puts your arms in an uncomfortably high position. The legroom was fine. The seats are staggered which helps with sight-lines but the rake is only gradual so a tall person in front of you will likely obscure part of the stage. Stalls Row M is further back than I would have liked as my first choice would probably have been Rows G, H or J (there is no I). This was my first time in the stalls of Old Vic and I was very disappointed especially as the prices for this theatre are one of the highest in London.
    M15 Stalls - Old Vic Theatre - Seat Review & View Photo
    View from Stalls M15
  • joc78 5"4 female 178 reviews 2 helpful votes
    80% total rating Girl From The North Country, 18th August 2017
    ‘Girl from the North Country’ is a very good production. The music arrangements were a joy to listen to – at times I wondered if I was listening to Bob Dylan as the arrangements were so different. Shirley Henderson in particular has the most amazing voice and I got goosebumps listening to her renditions of ‘Like a Rolling stone’ and ‘Forever Young’. Plot-wise it did feel slightly rushed and the characterisation was a bit weak, however the music more then made up for it here. If you’re a Bob Dylan purist, I’m not sure you will like it, however if you are a fan of music, you will definitely like it!
    Sat in Stalls X27
    This seat is situated in the back row of the Old Vic and even though you are quite far away from the stage you can see pretty much all of it. There is a slim pillar in your view (to the right) which you soon get used to once you are sitting there. Unfortunately, there was somebody quite tall sitting in front of me and as the raking is quite poor here, it meant I couldn’t see much because of his head! Luckily though, the seat next to me was empty so I did manage to move seats! This seat has good leg room and is comfortable too.
    X27 Stalls - Old Vic Theatre - Seat Review & View Photo
    View from Stalls X27
  • bryonyjameson 5"7 female 27 reviews 0 helpful votes
    80% total rating Girl From The North Country, 11th July 2017
    I enjoyed this show. Wasn't quite sure what to expect. I knew a couple of Dylan songs going in but only about 3 of them in this show. The songs are incredibly well sung and the whole performance of each song is captivating and they do genuinely blow you away. However, the plot was a bit chaotic - too many characters to get your head around. Lots of subplots. I was discussing this with the lady next to me in the interval and we were looking for their stories to link up. Some did, but a lot of things were kind of just left hanging. Finally, Shirley Henderson's performance was outstanding. She is truly brilliant!
    Sat in Stalls K7
    Tonnes of legroom, probably the most generous legroom I've had recently. A very comfortable seat too. View-wise, I had a perfect gap between two people's heads to see the centre of the stage, however, as I'm not the tallest (I have long legs but a short torso) both of the heads blocked out any action on either side of the stage. Due to the nature of the show (featuring music) a lot of things happened on the right-hand side, while a chair which was regularly used was on the left. This seat would have a perfect view if you are quite tall/don't have tall people in front!
    K7 Stalls - Old Vic Theatre - Seat Review & View Photo
    View from Stalls K7
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GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY SEATING PLAN
The centre of the Stalls in the Old Vic generally give the very best views, however the price can often reflect this, with a distinct premium being paid for spacious comfortable seats with perfect views of the stage. Pillars towards the edges of Row Q can affect some seats and towards the back of this section, the Circle’s overhang can get in the way of sightlines.

The Dress Circle tends to generally have good views of the stage, however due to the horseshoe layout of the Old Vic’s seats in this section, ends of rows can be distinctly lower quality than the centre. The Dress Circle is similar in layout, however is distinctly higher up and can feel quite distant, while the side seats tend to be benches which can be quite uncomfortable.
Old Vic Theatre, London interactive seating plan & seat reviews
STORY
The world premiere of a new musical Girl From the North Country comes to the Old Vic in 2017, with previews from 12th July and performances running until to 7th October.

Girl From the North Country is the exciting new musical written by critically acclaimed playwright Conor McPherson and featuring a range of classic songs from the legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

The tale is set in the town of Duluth, in the state of Minnesota during the despair of the Great Depression. Following a family as they try to cling on, their future in the balance, the lost and lonely drifters come and go through the door of their guesthouse. Nick Lane, however, thinks he may see some hope to escape this life.

This new show features part of the electrifying 2017 season at the Old Vic, which also features Daniel Radcliffe’s leading performance in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and the return of the Old Vic’s much loved production of Dr Seuss’s classic tale The Lorax.

Conor McPherson is one of the best known and acclaimed contemporary Irish playwrights and directors. He cemented his name in theatre history with his 1997 play The Weir, which was first performed at the Royal Court before transferring to the West End and eventually Broadway in 1999. The Weir soon became one of the most popular plays of the year, winning the 1999 Olivier Award for Best New Play, and subsequently being performed throughout the world.

McPherson’s work has continued to be hugely popular with his plays Port Authority (2001), Shining City (2004) and The Night Alive (2013) all becoming hugely popular.

His new work is based on the music of the legendary singer Bob Dylan. Dylan is one of the most popular musicians in the world, with a prolific career spanning over 50 years and with more than 100 million records sold. He has received countless awards including eleven Grammys, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award as well as being inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receiving the Pulitzer Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The title of McPherson’s new work comes from the popular Dylan song Girl from the North Country which was recorded in New York in 1963 and featured as the second song on his second album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

Ciaran Hinds (Hamlet) stars as guesthouse owner Nick Laine, while Shirley Henderson (Shining Souls) takes the role of Elizabeth Laine with Sam Reid playing Gene Laine. The cast also includes Ron Cook, Debbie Kurup, Bronagh Gallagher, Arinzé Kene and Jim Norton.

With one of the greatest contemporary playwrights behind it and featuring the music of one of the most successful singers of all time, Girl From The North Country is set to be one of the most exciting and interesting new pieces of work to hit the London stage in 2017 and is certainly not to be missed. Previews are due to begin on 12th July 2017 with performances set for a limited run until 7th October 2017.
SUITABLE FOR
Girl From The North Country is highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of Dylan’s music. This is an exciting and intriguing opportunity to see a masterful dramatist transform the great singer’s work into a beautiful and moving new show.