Conor McPherson Q&A
Award-winning playwright Conor McPherson is back in London ready for tomorrow’s Olivier Awards, where the critically acclaimed Girl from the North Country has been nominated for five awards.
We invited you to send in your questions about the show which we have put to the man himself.
#Askconor one of my favourite moments was when Elizabeth and Elias were dancing together. Are those two the voices of childlike innocence in the story? Like the lightness needed
— Leila Ayad (@Leilalucia) 6 April 2018
Hi Leila, thanks for your question! I think Elias is more like a child than Elizabeth, who seems more complicated. She certainly says some very mature things! Shirley and Jack always built on their connection in the show. https://t.co/8DNjoGsXG0
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
They often had little stories going on in the peripheral action onstage. But sometimes Elizabeth rejected Elias too. She was absolutely unpredictable. CM #AskConor
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
#AskConor – I saw #OVGirl twice & loved it: did Dylan see it, too & what did he think?
— HarrietGriffey (@HarrietGriffey) 5 April 2018
Thanks Harriet! I don’t think Bob has ever seen it – although I’ve heard he’s really happy it’s gone well. He gave us total freedom. I still can’t quite believe it! CM #AskConor https://t.co/8WDJbjMBiq
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
#AskConor I’ve seen Girl twice and adored it, but the first time round I found Elias’s song jarring – I couldn’t reconcile the song with what had just happened. The second time, I think I got it. Why did you choose Duquesne Whistle?
— Tim Jones (@TimJones91) 5 April 2018
Good question! It feels to me like a really spiritual song. It’s a moment of loss of resurrection in the show: ‘I can hear a sweet voice steadily calling/Must be the mother of our Lord’. The whistle of the train is the sound of Elias’s soul ascending into the sky. https://t.co/yf9Wogv0nl
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
I also wanted to make sure we had an upbeat show-stopper the second act. And @jackshalloo’s voice is simply out of this world. He nailed it beautifully. CM #AskConor
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
Rule 101 in musical theatre is that all songs should progress the narrative, but they didn’t in #OVGirl and it was so refreshing and brilliant – was that a conscious decision? #AskConor
— ElizabethCharleswort (@ComposerSybil) 5 April 2018
Nothing was very conscious about the decisions. Mostly we just did what felt good. Bob’s songs are so universal, they usually had elements that were bouncing off whatever was happening in the story in some suggestive way. And the audience brought their own interpretations. CM https://t.co/RNnBi4S9KZ
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
#AskConor when writing scenes for #OVGirl were you ever thinking ‘oh this Dylan song would work perfectly for this part’ or did that develop later? P.S. LOVED THE SHOW
— Luc de Freitas (@TheatreLover24) 5 April 2018
So happy you loved it! Usually if I liked a song that was enough reason to include it. I became bolder as the rehearsal process went along. For instance I became really fond of ‘License to Kill’ during rehearsals but we hadn’t any specific place for it.. https://t.co/YXqgnnrvqi
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
…so we spliced it into the middle of ‘Slow Train’. Usually those bolder ideas seemed to work pretty well because Bob’s musical DNA was always underneath everything, holding it together. It was better not to think too much about it — just do it! CM #AskConor
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
#AskConor will you own up to having a favourite song if it’s not a Bob Dylan?
— warandgeese (@warandgeese) 5 April 2018
I honestly don’t have a favourite song. I love lots of different kinds of music. And my favourite Bob Dylan songs changed a lot as we went through the process. For instance I came to really love ‘What Can I Do For You?’ after The Old Vic run…. https://t.co/D2druHkRhI
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
…So I was glad we got a chance to do the show again – and get that song in there for the West End run! CM #AskConor
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
#AskConor #OVGirl The musical moments in the play are extraordinary. In rehearsal, did you allow the actors to improvise around the melody and lyrics, or would they have to stick to Dylan’s score precisely?
— Fiona Joseph (@FionaJo24) 5 April 2018
Bob’s management encouraged us to make the songs our own. We felt a lot of the songs had a gospel feeling which really benefits from the singers becoming lost in the music. So everyone brought something of themselves to it — and that’s always the secret weapon in any show. CM https://t.co/sHaMPtAIpm
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
#AskConor #OVGirl has such rich & powerful poignancy & emotion & I just wondered if you could talk a little about crafting that: if this feeling was always your aim & how the feeling of your play & Dylan’s music came together? (Did that make any sense? I fear not! But thank you!)
— little impulse (@little_impulse) 5 April 2018
Makes perfect sense! Listening to music for me is always an emotional experience. And as a playwright, the overriding impact I am searching for is an emotional one. So trying to get the biggest emotional experience was always my aim with #OVGirl. Bob always gets huge credit for.. https://t.co/U4igojw70p
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
..his amazing lyrics, but his musicianship is also incredible. He creates implied harmonies that are working away in your heartstrings all the time. I just wanted to get out of the way and let the music fly. It was a huge responsibility and I took it very seriously! CM #AskConor
— The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) 7 April 2018
Girl from the North Country has been nominated for five Olivier Awards.
