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Lynne Walsh's theatre of the year

AN EVENTFUL year, with murders, kidnapped children, suicidal depression, lost souls and found loves.

Conor McPherson’s Girl from the North Country won standing ovations at the Old Vic, with its magical use of Bob Dylan’s finest songs.

This took many, including critics, by sweet surprise. There are always cynics claiming McPherson’s work lacks teeth and the hopeless floundering of hapless drifters in the liminal space of a flophouse or bar may not be to everyone’s taste, but this carried an emotional charge reminiscent of a Steinbeck or Miller.

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LYNNE WALSH previews the Bristol Radical History Conference this weekend

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