‘The Preacher Man’ was the 60’s Soho joint where the kids danced the night away whilst the owner dispensed advice to cure lonely hearts.
This bizarre & often confusing premise is the subject of a new Dusty songbook musical.
Lets save time. This show is simply an insult to Springfield’s legacy. They couldn’t have done a better job of abusing Dusty’s genius hits with such tawdry contempt.
Here’s our HD Video audio / video review via YouTube:
With sub-standard (at times painful) vocals, an uninspiring & repetitive set, dizzying choreography, a tortuous script and hideous staging – there’s is little to save this turkey.
This show should be sponsored by Pickford’s. It’s 2.5 hours of cast members messily moving the same 3 chairs and tables in rotation.
It’s basically three love affairs bubbling in a Mamma Mia styley with Dusty hits shamelessly crowbarred in. It’s nights like this that you dream of a power cut.
SOAPM has direction and choreography by Craig Revel Horwood. He should be ashamed.
It looks like he created this disaster during the opening credits of Strictly on the back of a beer mat. No effort, precision or discipline whatsoever. I’ve seen more energy at care home Christmas party than the finale medley.
Similar to his production of Sister Act, he can’t resist making the dancers look slutty not sexy. No class.
I actually hated it and left furious – rare. More importantly I was offended by the arrogance of this production to use Dusty’s name to sell tickets in reward for such effortless crap.
The audience were regularly left confused and offered silence whilst the cast waited for applause. There’s nothing more depressing in a theatre.
The only glimmer of hope was Diana Vickers’ voice. She’s no hoofer but was the only cast member who did justice to Dusty’s magnificent songbook and felt well cast. A delicious talent who stole the show.
This show is a travesty on equal par with the last Dusty nonsense in the West End two years ago. Unforgivable abuse of the memory of such a unique and brilliant talent.
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The show also Stars Deborah Stephenson & Ian Reddington – I wanted to love them but didn’t.
Nobody in the cast truly shone. There was certainly no 11 o’clock moment, heart, emotion or lol liners. “I should have gone to Specsavers” sums up the depth of this tortuous script.
It was a nice attempt to use musicians as actors / vocalists, but, sadly everyone just looked average and at times the show looked and felt am-dram.
Nothing else to say about this show. A total waste of an evening and a betrayal of the memory of the stunning Dusty Springfield.
Review by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio 12th September 2017.
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