Forever Young, Forever True: Dylan’s Songs Reborn
The Old Vic’s revival of Girl from the North Country feels like a long-overdue homecoming, writes Luigia Minichiello.
After premiering here back in 2017 before taking the West End and Broadway by storm, Conor McPherson’s poetic musical—set to the timeless music of Bob Dylan—returns to where it all began for a strictly limited run (24 June to 23 August 2025).
And the cast? It’s a reunion of heavy-hitters. Katie Brayben reprises her mesmerising turn as Elizabeth Laine, with Colin Bates back as Gene and Colin Connor grounding things as Nick. There’s something fitting about this ensemble of drifters and dreamers returning to the place where they first found their footing.
Set in 1934 Duluth, Minnesota, in a crumbling guesthouse during the Great Depression, the story follows a fragile web of characters—each carrying secrets, grief, and flickers of hope. Elizabeth Laine, even as her health fails, is a force of nature: cutting, comic, and prone to wild honesty. At times she moves like a chaotic Stevie Nicks, equal parts feral and graceful. When Mr. Perry—a suitor of 70—is proposed for her daughter, Elizabeth doesn’t hold back, slyly calling out his age and a past moment of inappropriate contact. It’s sharp, and oddly funny—like much of the show.
Then there’s the Reverend Marlowe, the so-called Bible seller. The moment he appears, there’s a hint of Nick Cave about him—his look, the subtle off-notes in his outfit. You just know he’s trouble.
The cast are top-tier performers across the board. There’s bags of talent on that stage. They glide seamlessly between characters’ stories and interactions, slipping into Dylan’s songs—some classic, some more obscure—with completely fresh arrangements. One minute it’s just a line or two dropped in, the next it’s a full, transformative rendition. They dance, they play multiple instruments, they shift the mood from tender to heartbreaking in an instant.
I can’t help but wonder what Dylan (who was actually born in Duluth, Minnesota) would make of it all—the many voices, the bold new arrangements, breathing fresh life into his wonderful songs.
The a cappella moments like To Make You Feel My Love are genuinely moving, and Elizabeth Laine’s haunting version of Forever Young will stay with you long after the curtain falls.
This is an enthralling performance from start to finish. Whether you’re a Dylan fan or not, you won’t be disappointed.
Tickets are on sale now, and with a run this limited, I wouldn’t wait.
The Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 until 23rd August.
Booking and full details: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/
