Hiya! It’s just Jordan with something a little different – a
review of Son of a Preacher Man, a
brand new musical based on the songs of Dusty Springfield.
How on earth does that relate to Corrie? Well, it happens to
star the wonderful Debra Stevenson, better known to us Corrie fanatics as Frankie
Baldwin, in one of the four leading roles. It also starred Ian Reddington, who
some savvy Corrie fans may remember as drummer Vernon Tomlin, a very short-term
husband of Liz McDonald. The UK tour arrived in Sunderland this week and I was
lucky enough to be invited to the press night of this brand new jukebox
musical.
Debra plays the role of Alison, one of three people
who inexplicably travel to the site of an old record store in London that was ran
by a man known as The Preacher Man. The three strangers each share a connection
to the record shop of the 60s and are shocked to discover that the store is now
a diner ran by Simon, the – you guessed it – son of the preacher man. The three
travellers soon realise that although they are strangers to each other, they
have one thing in common: their love lives are tragic. Alison is a teacher who
is helplessly in love with one of her students, Paul (Ian Reddington) never got
the future he wanted with a man he loved and Kat (Diana Vickers) is convinced
the love of her life is a man who rejected her on a dating site. For some
reason only palpable in a jukebox musical, Simon feels it is his duty to help these
three hopeless romantics get their love lives back on track.
Jukebox musicals are on the rise more than ever before. It
is hardly surprising when looking at the longevity of shows such as Mamma Mia! However, there are many
jukebox musicals that have come and gone spectacularly over the years (I’m
looking at you, Viva Forever), and it
easy to see why. While the songs are important, a believable story is needed to
hold them together. Although the story of Son
of a Preacher Man is rather thin, none of the songs feel as if they have
been forced in for the sake of it. For the duration of the two hours, the show
remained a light and frothy crowd-pleaser. That is exactly how a jukebox
musical should be.
The show manages to capture the nostalgia of 60s music
perfectly, as well as the longevity. This is possible due the characters: each
of the four leads are different ages, ranging from 50+ to early 20s, showing
that Dusty Springfield and the love for her music has lived on through the
years. Every aspect of the production sparkled, every detail giving off the
vibe of an era which has survived much longer than its years. Debra Stevenson’s
big solo comes early in Act I and her rendition of the classic All I See Is You
proved that the actress certainly is multi-talented. However, I must highlight Diana
Vickers as the standout star of the show. Some may remember her as a sweet
sixteen-year old who competed barefoot on The
X Factor in 2008. The doll-like songstress has now blossomed into a triple
threat and gave an utterly charming performance, proving that she is one of the
most talented X Factor alums, with a voice
which, to my mind, stole the show.
I must admit, I am not a lover of jukebox musicals. But
since I never say no to theatre, I accepted the invited, and was very
pleasantly surprised. A bouncy, bubblegum musical which has the power to make
all ages smile.
Son of a Preacher Man is
currently touring the UK until November. Tour dates and ticket details can be
found
here.
As always,
Thanks for reading!
Jordan
Twitter-
@JordanLloyd39
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