Everyone has heard of the saying ‘Behind every great man is a great woman’. In John Lennon’s later years, Yoko Ono was that person for the Beatle and for better or for worse, will always be synonymous with him. But what about his first wife Cynthia? Wasn’t her presence every bit as crucial in the nascent pop star’s development? And wasn’t her ‘grounded’ nature the reason John was as relatively level-headed for as long he was, before the temptations of fame set asunder any notions of ‘normal’ domestic bliss?

Directed by Mike Howl with original songs by Frankie Connor, Alan Crowley and Billy Kinsley, This Girl takes us almost to the very beginning, when John used to hang around socially with Cynthia Powell and their mutual friends as art students. It’s the late 1950s and rock’n’roll is all the rage. In some ways Cynthia and John are the archetypal couple – the ‘good girl’ attracted to the ‘bad boy’. Understandably, because of the mores of postwar Britain, Cynthia (Emily Guilfoyle) cares about appearences and at least being seen doing the ‘right thing’. Yet, at the same time, she wants to make John (Marky Reader) happy, so that means occasionally ignoring the opinions of her best friend Phyllis McKenzie (Abbie Reader). Still, Dot Rhone (Ellie Spencer), the girlfriend at the time of Paul McCartney, thinks Cynthia and John are a good fit…

While a few songs from the era serve as the initial backdrop of the show, it is the songs penned by Connor, Crowley and Kinsley that give an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the couple.

As the show is very much from Cynthia’s perspective, we’re privy to her own opinions on original Beatles member Stuart Sutcliffe and his relationship with artist Astrid Kirchherr (who Cynthia is initially intimidated by and seen as a rival). But we, the audience, can see that Sutcliffe and Astrid are very much equals and through their artistic endeavours, want the same things. While their relationship contrasts with John and Cynthia’s, judgements about Sutcliffe also highlight John’s propensity for jealousy and ‘bad behaviour’, which is present from the very beginning. Cynthia forgives him initially, but as the author Maya Angelou said: “When they show you who they are, believe them the first time…” In some ways it’s hard not to look at the events of yesteryear through the lens of modern values, so there is the tension there when we see Cynthia trying to save her marriage, when today we would say “Cut your losses, you don’t deserve this.”

When we see Cynthia’s relationship with John’s ‘Aunt Mimi’ (Geraldine Moloney Judge) there is an interesting tension as both women tried to keep John ‘on the straight and narrow’ and both ‘failed’ in that area. If Mimi doesn’t take too kindly to Cynthia in the early days, it’s that she knows that John’s ‘rebellious’ nature could be curbed by Cynthia’s naturally conservative demeanour, but Cynthia initially encourages John’s headstrong nature, without realising the ramifications of this.

The show is framed as the memories of Cynthia, so while we see her and all the other cast as young adults, we also watch the mature Cynthia (Roxanne Male) looking at the inexperienced woman that she was and reliving the times when emotions felt so raw. But things aren’t necessarily clearer for her over time, as we see her being told a few home truths by her (now adult) son Julian (Lee Clotworthy). While Cynthia to some degree will always be associated with John, she does eventually find some measure of happiness in her life with Noel Charles (Addae Gaskin), a person who in a very real sense becomes Julian’s surrogate father.

Anyone who has broad knowledge of pop culture knows that sometimes, there are parallels between the different generations. In the case of Lennon, Johnny Cash, Ian Dury and Ian Curtis of Joy Division, all pursued musical careers in the limelight after they had married at a relatively young age and started families. None of their marriages survived ‘the transition’. While the show doesn’t have an explicit message, Cynthia’s circumstances serve to show how a life of domesticity is often incongruous with a life of touring and the excesses of rock’n’roll. For the wives and families of many notable musicians, in the long run they can’t compete with its allure…

© Michael Davis 2023

This Girl: The Cynthia Lennon Story ran at Upstairs at the Gatehouse on 1^st and 2^nd August.