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★★★★
This September, London’s Park Theatre is hosting two pieces of new writing as a double bill in their Park90 space, with the first being ‘(God Save My) Northern Soul’, a new play written and performed by Natasha Cottriall and directed by Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder. Featuring themes of grief, family and growing up, the semi-autobiographical one-person play is set in Wigan in the 2010s and is a dark comedy that looks at the experience of losing a parent through the eyes of a 19-year-old. With an underscore of Northern Soul music, the musical genre is part of the focal mother-daughter relationship and in turn helps the character to process the loss.
Background and themes
The story is told from the perspective of mixed-race teenager Nicole, who is navigating the world in the aftermath of her mother’s passing. From understanding inheritance and picking out coffins, to trying to keep up with her job at River Island and have a social life, this is clearly an unsettling time. Despite centring on loss, the script is packed full of dark humour, spurred on by Nicole’s brutal honesty as she ploughs through all of the required admin and changes after the death of a loved one. The material is refreshing because it is both funny and relatable, but a key takeaway is the character clearly has not had enough time to come to terms with her mother’s sudden death. She is embracing logistics mode and with an uptight grandmother and her father barely around, the character is very alone.
For all of the comedy, there are several sincere moments where the character reflects on the loss and the reality of her life now. The playing of old Northern Soul records and reading the bereavement cards at her mother’s sandwich shop are examples of this, but they sometimes get overshadowed by the energy of the comedy. I would like to have seen more breaks in the humour and more time for Nicole to truly “feel”, away from the funeral task list.
Performance style
Natasha’s performance is what makes this show, especially the deadpan delivery of Nicole’s experiences when everyone starts treating her differently. There is also this youthful quality to the portrayal of the characters, highlighting how this is such a complex age to lose a parent. You are still a teenager but you are also about to grow up, fast. The characters as such are exaggerated and a highlight is the portrayal of her devoted Catholic grandmother and a potential partner that she meets up with on a night out. The presentation of the awkward encounters is absolutely hilarious and Natasha has the audience in the palm of her hand with her storytelling.
Humorous and heartfelt
There is so much to relate to in this dark comedy about love and loss, which is brilliantly performed by Natasha Cottriall. I’d like to have seen more references to the impact that a shared adoration of Northern Soul had on the mother-daughter relationship, just like the beautiful ending. That being said, the current iteration certainly draws attention to the role that music plays in connecting people. The set and lighting design also have a retro, 1970s feel which helps to connect the play’s present timeline with the cultural movement. You can catch ‘(God Save My) Northern Soul’ at Park Theatre until 20th September 2025, with tickets available via the venue’s website.
*My ticket for ‘(God Save My) Northern Soul’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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