Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
Dylan Songs Drive Depression Era Drama
Coverage from Financial Times, Musical Theatre Review, and others
Articles
64
Latest Article
01/05
Active Days
2275
Executive Summary
Conor McPhersons Girl from the North Country uses Bob Dylan songs to deepen a 1930s Duluth boarding house story of survival and loss.
- Girl from the North Country uses 20 to 28 Bob Dylan songs in a 1934 Duluth boarding house drama
- The production is written and directed by Conor McPherson and is not a conventional jukebox musical
- Arrangements often rework Dylan songs into slower or more atmospheric stage versions
- The story centers on Nick Laine, his family, and other residents facing debt, illness, racism, addiction, and pregnancy
- The cast performs onstage with a small band and actor-musicians, adding to the show structure
- Reviews praise the ensemble, period design, and emotional impact, even in larger venues that reduce intimacy
- The show has played or returned to major venues including The Old Vic, Broadway, and touring houses
Quick Facts
- What: A stage drama built around reworked Bob Dylan songs
- Where: Set in a Duluth Minnesota boarding house
- Why: To explore survival, family, and community under hardship
- Who: Conor McPherson and a large ensemble cast
- When: Set in 1934 during the Great Depression
Coverage Timeline: 2275 Days
Featured Article
This summer Conor McPherson's Girl from the North Country returned to London's Old Vic, staging a Depression-era drama interwoven with reworked Bob Dylan songs.
Additional Articles
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Conor McPherson’s Girl from the North Country, featuring Bob Dylan songs and directed at The Old Vic in London, continues its limited run until 23 August 2025.
On Oct 22, 2019, USA Today reported Conor McPherson discussing Dylan based musical concepts including Girl from the North Country.
Girl From the North Country, the Broadway musical built around Bob Dylan's songs, is scheduled to run April 29–June 11 at New York's Belasco Theatre.
In an Untold Dylan article, Jochen examines how Bob Dylan shaped Girl From The North Country in 1962 London from Martin Carthy's Scarborough Fair arrangement.
Bob Dylan's song-based play Girl from the North Country is reviewed in its current national tour stop at Charlotte's Belk Theater.
Conor McPherson's Bob Dylan-infused musical Girl from the North Country runs at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater in Washington, DC through Dec 31, 2023.
Girl From the North Country, a Dylan musical by Conor McPherson, runs in the West End and on Broadway, with performances at The Lowry continuing until Saturday.
Conor McPherson’s Girl From The North Country, a 1934 Duluth-set play built around Bob Dylan songs, runs at York Theatre Royal from September 6 to 10.
2022-05-29, New York Stage Review reports on Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country at the Public Theater in New York, praising its Dylan song based storytelling.
Kelly McCormick discusses performing in Girl From The North Country as the Bob Dylan musical prepares for an upcoming engagement in Pittsburgh.
The article reviews the touring production of Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre, built around Bob Dylan's songs.
A regional critic reviews Conor McPherson's Bob Dylan theatrical work 'Girl from the North Country' during its touring engagement at Proctors in Schenectady, New York.
Conor McPherson's Bob Dylan musical Girl From the North Country is presented by Broadway in Boston at the Emerson Colonial Theatre from Mar 12, 2024 to Mar 24, 2024.
Girl From the North Country is reviewed in its run at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre, highlighting strong music and design against a flawed script.
Broadway at the Hobby Center in Houston presents the touring production of Girl From The North Country, built around Bob Dylan songs and a Conor McPherson script.
Broadway Dallas presents the national tour of Girl from the North Country at Music Hall in Fair Park, using songs from Bob Dylan's catalog.
On Dec 16, 2023, BroadwayWorld reviewed the national tour of Girl From the North Country at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Conor McPherson's Girl From The North Country, featuring 19 Bob Dylan songs arranged by Simon Hale, is touring the UK while set in Duluth in 1934.
In 2022 in Dublin, Conor McPherson reflected on creating Bob Dylan musical Girl From the North Country and its London, New York and Broadway success.
Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country, using Bob Dylan's songs, is running at Dublin's Olympia Theatre through July 30 before a UK tour.
⭐⭐⭐
Conor McPherson s Girl From the North Country opened at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, repurposing Bob Dylan songs within a Depression-era ensemble drama.
In an Untold Dylan feature, Jochen surveys interpretations of Bob Dylan's 1963 song Girl From the North Country across decades, countries, and languages.
Aaron presents cast recordings of the musical Girl From the North Country, praised for arrangements and performances in West End and Broadway productions.
Lou Harry, on 2026-01-05, reviewed the PBS Great Performances recording of Girl from the North Country on louharry.com.
winegumtelegram / victorialucas38
11-07-2025
On 2025-11-07, Winegum Telegram published a blog post analyzing Bob Dylan's 'Girl from the North Country', exploring its English folk influences and lyrical nostalgia.
Conor McPherson’s Bob Dylan-inspired musical Girl From the North Country opens Apr 9, 2024 at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas and runs through Apr 21, 2024.
Germantown Avenue theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, and the Forrest Theater will present a benefit reading, a Groucho revue, and Girl from the North Country in Philadelphia.
Bob Dylan songs, adapted by Conor McPherson in Girl from the North Country, run through Dec 31, 2023 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country opens in Melbourne in 2022, with Canberra and Brisbane engagements following.
A Sydney production of Conor McPherson’s Girl From The North Country uses Bob Dylan songs within a 1934 Duluth boarding-house drama, featuring Rae Smith’s design and a large ensemble cast.
Edinburgh Playhouse opened a five-day run of Girl From the North Country on Oct 18 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Conor McPherson discusses Girl From The North Country, a 1930s Duluth play using Bob Dylan songs, which opened in London in 2017 and played Broadway and Dublin through July 30.
On Nov. 3, 2023, Playhouse Square opened Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country, a Duluth-set drama using Bob Dylan songs, at the Connor Palace in Cleveland.
Conor McPherson discusses adapting Bob Dylan songs into the play Girl From the North Country, running Oct. 31–Nov. 19, 2023 at Cleveland's Connor Palace.
Conor McPherson’s Girl from the North Country, featuring nearly 20 Bob Dylan songs and orchestrations by Simon Hale, is currently on a North American tour with a stop in Chicago.
Conor McPherson's Girl from the North Country opened its national tour at Cheltenham's Everyman Theatre, reimagining Dylan songs in a 1930s Duluth setting.
A reviewer returns to Broadway's Belasco Theater on a Saturday afternoon to see Conor McPherson's Girl from the North Country.
Conor McPherson's Broadway production Girl from the North Country opened on Broadway, using Bob Dylan songs to score a 1934 Duluth boarding-house drama.
Simon Hale discussed arranging Bob Dylan songs for Conor McPherson’s play Girl from the North Country as the production began a U.S. tour including performances in Minnesota.
Playhouse Square presents Conor McPherson’s Girl from the North Country, featuring Bob Dylan songs, at the Connor Palace in Cleveland through November 19.
Director Kate Budgen says Girl from the North Country, featuring Lisa McCune, is rehearsing for its Australian premiere at the 2022 Sydney Festival in Sydney.
Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country, featuring Bob Dylan songs, is playing at The Paramount in Seattle through Jun 30, 2024.
On 2023-10-18, BroadwayWorld published a review roundup of the North American tour launch of Girl From the North Country in Minneapolis.
In a Dublin interview published during the play's Olympia Theatre run, Conor McPherson describes creating Bob Dylan's musical Girl From The North Country.
Runaway Entertainment launches the Girl From the North Country North American tour on October 8 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis.
⭐️⭐️
Todd Almond's Slow Train Coming traces the Girl From the North Country journey from Public Theater in 2018 to Broadway in 2020 and a 2021 restart.
Colin Connor stars as Nick Laine in Dylan's musical Girl From the North Country at The Old Vic, running until 23 August.
Todd Almond's Slow Train Coming covers the Girl from the North Country Broadway transfer opened on 2020-03-06 at the Belasco Theatre in New York.
In 2024, qSaltLake discusses The Girl from the North Country, a Broadway musical that uses Dylan songs to tell a Depression era Minnesota story on Broadway.
Conor McPherson's stage adaptation Girl from the North Country runs at Reynolds Hall, The Smith Center, Las Vegas, from June 4-9, 2024.
Conor McPherson presents Girl From the North Country, a stage work using Dylan songs, at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago through Feb 25, 2024.
Colin Bates speaks about starring in Girl From The North Country on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre following the COVID-19 shutdown, a play reworking Bob Dylan songs set in 1930s Duluth.
Portland hosts the Dylan inspired musical Girl from the North Country at Keller Auditorium, opening Jun 18, 2024 and running through Jun 23, 2024.
Broadway in Boston presents Girl from the North Country, a stage adaptation of Dylan songs by Conor McPherson, at Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, running through Mar 24, 2024.
On 2022-06-29, Girl from the North Country opens at Dublin's 3Olympia Theatre for its Irish premiere.
2022-03-11, RTÉ Culture reports that Girl From The North Country opens at Dublin's 3Olympia on 25 June.
Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country runs at Walt Disney Theater in Orlando through Sep 29, 2024 as part of the AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando season.
Conor McPherson's Girl From The North Country opens in Houston at the Hobby Center and runs through May 5.
Conor McPherson’s Girl From The North Country returns to the Old Vic in London, presenting reimagined Bob Dylan songs within a 1934 Duluth-set drama.
Girl from the North Country launches its Broadway American tour at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis on Sunday.
On 2022-11-02, Entertainment Focus published a review of Girl From The North Country at Theatre Royal Plymouth, UK.
Reviewer Georgina Brown praises Conor McPherson’s revived Girl From The North Country at the Old Vic, running until August 23, for its integration of 23 Bob Dylan songs and strong performances.
Conor McPherson brings his stage musical Girl From The North Country, based on Bob Dylan songs, to US venues from Washington DC to Austin, through 2024.