Do I Love You
- Richard Evans
- May 8
- 3 min read
John Godber
John Godber Company
Storyhouse, Chester
May 6-7, 2025; 1hr 40 mins
(also Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, May 9-10; York Theatre Royal, June 10-14)
The origin of Do I Love You lies in John Godber’s passion for Northern Soul music, and is intended as an homage to that 1970s subculture, as well as an explanation of the phenomenon.
The play - whose title is that of one of Northern Soul's biggest hits, by Frank Wilson -warms up as it goes along, which if nothing else is a fair description of a night at Wigan Casino, Northern Soul's most famous venue. The first act is pleasant enough, with some dry, down to earth humour, though it lacks some of the vitality and edge audiences usually warm to. The second act, luckily, provides those qualities handsomely.
The play tells the story of three twenty-somethings who have known each other since school days but have drifted apart, only to return to their home town, Hull. While they find comfort in their friendship, their lives seem fairly humdrum, stuck in a rut working in dead end, boring jobs.
The three are, however, fans of Northern Soul and go to a tribute night in Cleethorpes, which is the occasion for a personal tragedy for Sally (Martha Godber). When her grandmother dies, Sally takes comfort in gran’s huge record collection, which is dominated by Northern Soul classics. As this happens, Kyle and Natalie (Emilio Encinoso-Gil and Chloe McDonald) have a one night stand that ignites jealousy between the two women and a breakdown of trust with Kyle. A chance meeting with a Northern Soul aficionado leaves them with a more profound understanding of the genre and fanbase and they embark on a quest to master the dance routines, ready for the ultimate contest at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool. In doing so, the three are reconciled and find a more authentic and happier lifestyle.
The three players - all returning from the long, often sold-out 2023 tour of the show - are on stage for every minute of the production and maintain an obvious chemistry, infused with no-nonsense advice and clever one-liners. Their dialogue is what keeps the play moving; I had expected more emphasis on the music and while it is there persistently to introduce each new scene, at no time is it the focus of attention. The scenery is very simple, with a sparkly backdrop the only embellishment.
This production comes into its own when there is a bit of tension between the characters and when the philosophy behind Northern Soul is explained. Of course it is a nightclub movement focusing on soul music, but Northern Soul is a genre of a sort of reversed eliteism; mainstream soul has sold out, Northern Soul seeks out the US soul stars who didn't make it but perhaps should have.
Northern Soul was also the preserve of the young working class, reacting against a wider society that looked down on their culture, becoming in the process a source of identity and protest.
Godber's show is the subject of plenty of warm appreciation and it is a wonderful trot down memory lane for many. For those not acquainted with Northern Soul it's an eye-opener on a phenomenon that became a cult for a considerable number of young people in the 1970s, who livee for weekend all-night club nights of non-stop soul.
The case, of course, died down in the Eighties, but the all-nighter spirit remains alive and well among many of the crowds who turn up to this a musical time pretty much gone by.
More info and tickets here
