Grappling with grief, teenager Nicole is upset about suddenly losing her mum before losing her virginity.
At 19, she is technically an adult, but faced with a pile of unpaid bills and an inherited sandwich shop, she is totally overwhelmed and unsure of which path to tread. She delves into familiarity, seeking solace in her mum’s love of northern soul music and Wigan Casino. Here, (God Save My) Northern Soul is born: Natasha Cottriall’s solo show at The Park Theatre, directed by Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder.
The play spotlights moments of grief drama can overlook. There are no dramatic emotional outbursts: Nicole is straight-talking and instead tries to immerse herself in mundanity to cope. We join her food shopping where she feels disloyal to her mum’s chosen supermarket, cowering on a chair when she watches Murder, She Wrote and spots a terrifying spider, and kissing a boy with an emotional attachment to garlic bread. In these moments she misses her mum the most, with the audience as her only true company.
It is likely that everyone watching will relate to these feelings in their own way, and that is the beauty of Cottriall’s writing and execution. Her sense of humour is brusque and relatable; we are privy to Nicole’s unfiltered inner monologue as she figures things out in real time. The surreal nature of grief is palpable, whether that’s through an Argos catalogue of headstones or by watching Nicole road-test her mum’s final resting outfit. Between these lies an unspoken sadness we are made to appreciate.
Underpinning all of this is Nicole’s (and presumably Cottriall’s) love of northern soul music. (God Save My) Northern Soul does the best it can to explore this culture in its hour window, but I would have loved a little more of this. We learn with Nicole, who is also reflective of her mixed heritage in a predominantly white town. What the play truly feels like is a time capsule of the late 2000s and early 2010s – through costume, make-up and music.
This nostalgic vibe is loveable. (God Save My) Northern Soul reminds us of the messiness of teenagehood and the beauty of figuring things out as you go along. It provides a snapshot of Nicole’s ongoing journey through grief. It is impossible not to root for her.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
