Four star review of In Dreams at Leeds Playhouse

In the same way that playwright Conor McPherson worked with Bob Dylan’s songbook to create the hit musical Girl from the North Country, writer David West Read has skilfully incorporated Orbison’s hits into an engaging storyline that is relatable, warm, funny and moving.

Lena Hall plays Kenna, the former lead singer of country rock group Heartbreak Radio – disbanded 15 years previously – who in the opening scene receives some bad news from her doctor. This health crisis prompts her to reassess and reflect and she decides to organise a special party in a family-run Mexican restaurant out in the New Mexico desert.

The restaurant, owned by welcoming young couple Oscar (Manuel Pacific) and Nicole (Gabriela Garcia) with Oscar’s grandmother Ana Sofia (Alma Cuervo), also offers memorial services for loved ones in the tradition of the Mexican Day of the Dead.

Kenna confides in Ana Sofia who wisely persuades her to reconnect with old friends she has lost in touch with including her ex-bandmates singer Jane (Sian Reese-Williams) and guitarist Donovan (Noel Sullivan) – now a married couple with five children – and drummer (and Kenna’s old flame) Ramsey (Oliver Tompsett). Kenna decides to keep her true motivation for the party a secret from her friends until the time is right…

The reunion of the old friends is beautifully handled in the script, addressing the inevitable associated feelings of guilt, regret and misunderstanding – and for Kenna of time possibly running out. Woven into the narrative seamlessly are Orbison’s songs including I Drove All Night, Blue Bayou, Dream Baby, Love Hurts and Handle With Care. They are presented in quirky and unexpected ways – the powerful end to the first half of the show, for example, is not a big whole company number, rather an achingly poignant solo of Crying, sung by Hall alone on the stage. While probably the best known song, Oh Pretty Woman is performed by the two oldest characters – both widowed – Ana Sofia and her new friend George (Richard Trinder).

The production’s underlying message about the importance of family, friendship and community is a powerful one. It also offers an uplifting perspective on grief and loss and how we should all make the most of every precious minute.

To August 5.