The Bob Dylan Story: Review

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Sat 10 Feb 2018

There can only ever be one Bob Dylan. But this is as close to the real thing - both in terms of his music and story - as you are ever likely to get. The Bob Dylan Story is a live celebration of rock and folk's greatest icon. With the help of a video screen as a backdrop and an excellent four-piece band, Bill Lennon superbly and convincingly took on the mantle of Bob Dylan for this splendid two-hour show. The Bob Dylan Story contains many of the most memorable songs ever written, from 'Blowing In The Wind' to 'Lay Lady Lay.' And Lennon does a more than passable job as the great man himself, who was recently recognised for his achievements by being made a Nobel Prize winner.



The Bob Dylan Story, which appeared at the Lichfield Garrick theatre on Saturday 10 February as part of a UK tour, opened with the packed audience being greeted by a video of the young Dylan on a screen. The time scene was then set with an audio of John F Kennedy's presidential inauguration in 1961, just as Bob was starting out in New York's Greenwich Village folk scene. Lennon then gets the musical side of the show going by launching into an excellent rendition of 'The Times They Are A Changin' against a backdrop of images of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, civil rights marches, and newspaper front pages of the day. Further great and memorable Bob Dylan songs continue throughout the show, such as 'Blowing In The Wind' and 'All Along The Watchtower', while his story continues with the help of further video footage.



The Bob Dylan story actually began with the birth of Robert Zimmerman in 1941, but it wasn't until he moved to New York at the start of the sixties that his tale really took off. And so the story continues to unfold through the majesty of Dylan's songs, in particular, a superb delivery of 'A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall' against a backdrop of bombs raining down from American planes during the Vietnam War. As the story ranges from Dylan's relationship with folk queen Joan Baez, through his anti-war and civil rights protests, and his self-imposed period away from the limelight, there is the same timeless music such as 'Like a Rolling Stone', 'Lay Lady Lay', 'Mr Tambourine Man', 'Quinn The Eskimo', 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door', and the moving story of racial injustice behind 'Hurricane'. It was only a shame the show was restricted to only two dozen of Dylan's 370 studio album songs.



Rating: 4 out of 5

Forthcoming dates

March 9th - The Lights, Andover www.thelights.org.uk
March 10th - Shaftesbury Arts Centre, Dorset www.shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk
March 11th - The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter www.barnfieldtheatre.org.uk
March 14th - The Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton www.thebrewhouse.net
March 15th - The Tivoli, Wimborne www.tivoliwimborne.co.uk
March 16th - Lakeside Coastal Resort, Hayling Island www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk
March 17th - Weymouth Pavilion www.weymouthpavilion.com
March 23rd - Norwich Playhouse www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk
March 25th - Key Theatre, Peterborough www.vivacity-peterborough.com



April 5th - Hall for Cornwall, Truro www.hallforcornwall.co.uk
April 6th - Hanger Farm, Southampton www.hangerfarm.co.uk
& #8203 ;April 11th - Swindon Arts Centre www.swindontheatres.co.uk
& #8203 ;April 12th - Kenton Theatre, Henley-On-Thames
April 13th - The Tunnels, Bristol www.thetunnelsbristol.co.uk
April 14th - Millfield Theatre, Edmonton www.millfieldtheatre.co.uk
April 15th - Medina Theatre, Isle Of Wight www.medinatheatre.co.uk
April 21st - Cranleigh Arts Centre cranleighartscentre.org

#concerts
#folk_blues_music
#music
#shows
#theatre
#february
!date 10/02/2018 -- 10/02/2018
%wnbirmingham