Critically acclaimed musical Girl from the North Country will be the first new international production for Australia since the New South Wales Government announced the return of live theatre to the state.

I rarely include theatre promotions or reviews in travel columns, but this show is an absolute cracker. Since opening at the Old Vic in London in 2017, Girl From The North Country has taken the theatrical world by storm, selling out seasons in the West End, Toronto and Broadway, and is now one of the most critically acclaimed multi-award-winning productions of the 21st Century.

An uplifting story of American life in 1934 Minnesota, it centres on a community living on a knife-edge in the local guesthouse: the owner, Nick, owes more money than he can ever repay, his wife Elizabeth is losing her mind and their daughter Marianne is carrying a child no one will account for. And, when a preacher selling bibles, and a boxer looking for a comeback turn up in the middle of the night, things start to spiral beyond the point of no return.

Featuring the songs of Bob Dylan reimagined like you've never heard them before including Hurricane, I Want You, Slow Train Coming, Lay Lady Lay and Like A Rolling Stone, Girl From The North Country stars stage and screen icon and Gold Logie winner, Lisa McCune (King And I, South Pacific), Zahra Newman (The Book of Mormon, Wentworth), Terence Crawford (Escape from Pretoria, 1984), Helen Dallimore (Wicked, Legally Blond) and Helpmann Award winner, the legendary Peter Carroll.

The Theatre Royal has undergone massive refurbishment with its entrance repurposed to feature 13-metre-high floor-to-ceiling glass to reveal the spectacular foyer and signature art pieces, along with a bespoke food and beverage offering. The interior has been transformed to international standards to house world-class productions from Australia and around the world.

Girl From The North Country opens on January 5 at the Theatre Royal Sydney and moves to Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, on March 25.

For more information and tickets, visit northcountry.com.au and theatreroyalsydney.com 

Covid-19 travel update

Following hot on the heels of the United States announcement that it will reopen its borders to international travellers from November 8, Australia is aiming to welcome overseas visitors again before the end of the year.

As a dual citizen of Australia and the UK, I've been more aware than most of different countries' travel restrictions, particularly the infamous travel ban that required Australians to apply for an exemption if they wanted to travel overseas. All of that will end on November 1 when the residents of states that have vaccinated 80 per cent of their adult populations will be able to travel freely overseas. So far New South Wales and Victoria have achieved that milestone and in New South Wales at least, returning travellers will not have to quarantine.

The states are pressing the federal government to allow similar freedoms for overseas visitors by Christmas, or at the earliest possible opportunity. Note that not all websites are up to date with this latest news.

Useful links

​ Sydney, Australia | Official Sydney Tourism Website