Global hit Girl From the North Country premieres tonight in Sydney
International hit musical Girl from the North Country, by Conor McPherson, with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan, will have its Australian premiere tonight at the newly re-opened Theatre Royal Sydney. Business leaders, celebrities, politicians and music and theatre fans from around the country will walk the red carpet to celebrate the opening of this modern masterpiece as part of the 2022 Sydney Festival.
Photo by Daniel Boud
Featuring an all-star cast including Lisa McCune, Zahra Newman, Callum Francis, Helen Dallimore and Peter Carroll, Girl From the North Country is one of the most critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning productions of the 21st century. It has taken the theatrical world by storm, selling out seasons in the West End, Toronto and Broadway since opening at The Old Vic in London.
A story of American life in 1934 Minnesota, it centres on a community living on a knife-edge in the local guesthouse, and stars multi Gold Logie winner, Lisa McCune (King And I, South Pacific), Zahra Newman (The Book of Mormon, Wake In Fright), Terence Crawford (Escape from Pretoria, 1984), Helen Dallimore (Wicked [London], Legally Blond) Helpmann Award winners, Peter Carroll and Christina O’Neill, dual AFI winner Peter Kowitz, Elijah Williams (Triple X, Black Jesus), Greg Stone (Glengarry Glen Ross, Stuff Happens), Grant Piro (host of ABC TV’s Couch Potato, Hello, Dolly!), Blake Erickson (The Dismissal, Shrek, Mamma Mia!), Elizabeth Hay (Emil and the Detectives, Hibernation) and James Smith (Jasper Jones, Euphoria).
Chemon Theys, Samantha Morley, Tony Black, Liam Wigney, Tony Cogin and Laurence Coy feature in the impressive ensemble, with a band featuring Mark Harris, Tracy Lynch and Cameron Henderson performing live on stage under Musical Director Andrew Ross.
With twenty of Dylan’s songs including Hurricane, I Want You, Slow Train Coming, Lay Lady Lay and Like A Rolling Stone, beautifully reimagined and woven through the story, Girl From the North Country is a modern masterpiece.
NSW Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres said:
I am delighted that the Australian premiere of Girl from the North Country is taking place at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal, located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. The NSW Government is committed to investing in world-class productions like this to deliver on our goal of becoming the premier visitor economy in the Asia Pacific. Bringing productions like Girl from the North Country to Sydney tells the world that we are open for business and welcoming visitors to enjoy our city’s vast cultural offerings and hospitality.
Writer and director Conor McPherson said: “It is an honour to bring this production I’m so proud of to Australia. Our journey from The Old Vic in London to the West End in London and onto Broadway has been monumental, and we have managed to find an incredible Australian cast who will bring this magical production to life.”
Theatre Royal Sydney
Saturday 8 January – Sunday 27 February
Tickets: northcountry.com.au
Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: northcountryau
