Son of a Preacher Man at the Theatre Royal Nottingham Review
30 January to 3 February 2018
Reviewed by Louise Edwards
The hit musical, Son of a Preacher Man, directed and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, opened at the Nottingham Theatre Royal this week, as part of a nationwide tour that runs until July 2018.
As the show opens we are introduced to the three main characters who span the generations; Alison, played by multi-talented Debra Stephenson; Kat, played by Alice Barlow and Paul, played by Michael Howe. They are all feeling at a loss with life as grief and despair have them searching for answers.
The trio meets outside what once was The Preacher Man, a Soho club popular in the 1960s where everyone danced till dawn and listened to the wise words of the owner, dubbed The Preacher Man, dishing out advice on all matters to do with love. We discover that Paul had met his first (unrequited) love at that very place, Alison had heard all about it from her mum and Kat had learned of it from her recently deceased Gran with whom she had lived with since her parents died in a car crash.
The original Preacher Man has passed away but his son, Simon played by Nigel Richards, still lives above the venue though he has sold it and is now a coffee shop with resident singing, dancing, and instrument playing trio The Cappuccino Sisters, played by Michelle Long, Kate Hardisty, and Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong.
The story unravels, accompanied by 22 of Dusty Springfield’s classic numbers, and we see Alison, Kat and Simon pour out their hearts to Simon in the hope that he can help them in the way that his father solved so many heartaches back in the 1960s. Soft-hearted Simon, in a bid to seek a bond with the father he didn’t feel close to in real life, reaches out in an attempt to resemble his father (with a few hiccups along the way) and bring some happiness back into the lives of the lovelorn three.
The singing is fantastic with some perfectly timed dance moves and incredibly talented live on-stage musicians in the mix, playing the cello, trumpet, sax, violin, guitar, clarinet and French horn to name just a few! The story is funny, at times risqué and very warm. The story does at times feel a little forced to fit in with the catalogue of Dusty Springfield numbers but suspend belief and a fantastic evening of brilliant music, acting, singing and dancing awaits.
The Theatre Royal is located in the city centre within easy reach of buses and trams and plenty of car parking. The first and second halves run for around an hour each with a 20-minute interval to grab a drink or an ice cream.
This is one that fans for 60s music, and in particular Dusty Springfield, don’t want to miss!
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £17 to £35.50 (booking fees may apply).
Son of a Preacher Man is at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham from 30 January to 3 February 2018, for more information or to book tickets visit www.trch.co.uk or call the box office on 0115 989 5555.
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham, NG1 5ND
