Son of a Preacher Man

I’m not going to beat about the bush. This is one of the worst musicals I have ever seen. It is an insult to the memory of Dusty Springfield, whose iconic songs make up the score. The contrived, tortuous storyline is preposterous, so feeble it is hardly worth recounting.

Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood should hang his head in shame for getting involved as director and if I had one of his judging paddles to hand I would be waving aloft a 1 or 2 – and that only for the delightful vocals of Diana Vickers and the talents of the ensemble who play their instruments live on stage.

In a nutshell the musical features three unconnected two-dimensional characters who rock up at an old haunt they’ve heard about, which was once a record shop called The Preacher Man in London’s Dean Street run by some sort of guru who ironed out everyone’s problems. It is now a coffee shop managed by his son Simon (Ian Reddington), who calls upon the spirit of his departed dad to help him solve the emotional tangles of the love-torn trio.

Paul (Michael Howe) is gay and still hankers after the memory of a guy he met there almost half a century ago. Kat (Diana Vickers) is obsessed by a bloke she met online and who then rejected her. And Alison (Debra Stephenson) is a recently widowed teacher who imagines herself in love with a teenage boy whom she has been tutoring. Somewhat tasteless.

The songs are, of course, fabulous…Goin’ Back, I Only Want to be With You, I Just Don’t Know What to do With Myself, You Don’t Have to Say You Love me etc. But they are just not the same not sung by the gorgeous Dusty, one of the greatest voices in the history of pop.

The show is scheduled to tour the country until next July. I can only assume that it is selling on the strength of the Springfield back catalogue.

But it was a waste of an evening for me. And if it ever becomes available for amateur performance: don’t touch it with a ten-foot barge pole would be my advice!

• Type: admin
• Performance Date: 14/11/2017
• Star rating: 12345