Woody Sez - The Words Music and Spirit of Woody Guthrie

Synopsis

A foot-stomping theatrical journey through the life of one of America’s ballad-maker. Weaving together Guthrie’s words and songs, 'Woody Sez' paints a portrait of this revered cult figure’s fascinating and often tragic life. Considered by some as the Godfather of American folk music, Guthrie was a protest singer fighting for and lifting up the spirits of people beaten own by the hardships of The Great Depression. This is a story of survival, unity and olding onto your beliefs in the face of adversity. With classic Guthrie tracks including, This Land is our Land and Bound for Glory.

Our Review:

8 February 2013

Woodrow ‘Woody’ Guthrie claimed that songs from lands he had never visited taught him how to relate to strangers. Taking their cue from Woody,  David M Lutkin (who performs as Guthrie) and Nick Corley (who directs) use the songs and homilies of Guthrie to tell the life story of the Dust Bowl Balladeer.

There is a risk that this approach could cheapen the source material, but, as the show demonstrates, the scope of Guthrie’s work went well beyond the protest songs for which he is famous. There are also comic numbers and children’s songs. Biographical material is conveyed succinctly and, when mixed with the musical excerpts, touches on deeper emotional aspects of the story. Guthrie’s itinerant lifestyle is attributed to the fact that, after his mother’s mind was ravaged by Huntington’s cholera, he could no longer endure staying at home.

Guthrie’s life was blighted by tragedy – the loss of family members and th...

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