Despite being set in the 1930s in America, actor Ross Carswell says that the musical Girl From The North Country is incredibly relevant in 2023.
“The show is set during the Great Depression in America when people were really struggling,” said Ross who plays Elias Burke in the award-winning musical which features songs by Bob Dylan.
“And now in the midst of the cost of living crisis, a lot of people are struggling to buy simple things which was the same at that time.
“I think it’s poignant – even more so now (than when the musical premiered in 2017).
“I think people will recognise [the similarities] in a way that may feel uncomfortable and a bit scary but I hope they’ll leave feeling uplifted.
“There are also a lot of messages about hope and love and how you can persevere in a really difficult time. It’s quite a cathartic show.
“I think people can take a lot from it.”
Girl From The North Country will transport Aberdeen fans to America
The audiences will be transported to the heartland of America where they meet a group of wayward souls who cross paths in a time-weathered guesthouse.
Standing at a turning point in their lives, they realise nothing is what it seems. But as they search for a future, and hide from the past, they find themselves facing unspoken truths about the present…
Ross said: “I play vulnerable young man Elias Burke who is at the guesthouse with his family.
“You get the impression that they travelled all the way from New York and have been on the road for a long time. They were once quite a wealthy family but since the crash, Mr Burke (Elias’ dad) has lost his business and is struggling to make ends meet.”
Girl From The North Country features Bob Dylan’s hits
The musical – which has been described as a “remarkable fusion of text and music” – uses 19 Bob Dylan songs to tell the stories of individuals and families staying at the guesthouse.
“I listened to a few of his songs – I was obsessed with One More Cup Of Coffee – but I never took the deep dive before I got the part,” said Ross.
“His lyrics are so epic – he takes you on a journey with every song. I’m a big fan now.
“In the show, my favourite song is Like A Rolling Stone. Everyone’s on stage and it’s a really cool number.”
Hurricane, Forever Young, and Make You Feel My Love also feature in the Olivier and Tony award-winning West End and Broadway smash-hit musical.
Big screen adaptation
Girl From The North Country was created by Conor McPherson who will also write and direct the film version of the successful stage musical. Olivia Colman and Woody Harrelson are set to lead the big-screen adaptation.
“It’s great,” said Ross who was excited to hear the news earlier this month.
“I think it’ll be really interesting to see how they go about making the film. There’s always that challenge with movie musicals – how do you make it believable that someone would start singing at any given moment?
“I’ll be very excited to see it when it comes out.”
But in the meantime, Ross is looking forward to making his Aberdeen debut with Girl From The North Country.
“I’ve been to Aberdeen a few times but I’ve never been to the theatre so I’m really excited. We played Glasgow and Edinburgh last year so it feels great to be going back home to Scotland,” added Ross who’s from Paisley.
Girl From The North Country is at Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre from Tuesday February 21 to Saturday February 25. Tickets can be booked here.
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