IF you haven’t booked to see Forever Dusty, book now because time’s running out on this charming biopic of one of our greatest singers, writes Paul Thomas.

This is a five-hander with multiple parts played by this wonderful troupe to depict the life our 60s blue-eyed soul supremo, an Irish Catholic girl from High Wycombe who straddled the Atlantic with one of the best voices and hits in pop history.

Frankly, this musical should be ‘souled out’ at Windsor’s Theatre Royal so ditch what you’re doing – ya know, the tellybox (yawn) – and brave the not so cold weather to get down and learn about this all so cracking woman. Opening just a day after we celebrated the centenary of votes for women, Dusty shows us all the strong feminist traits she had and her drive for equality in gender, sexual liberation and race.

A very young Katherine Ferguson plays Dusty with a voice to die for. This girl can belt ‘em out and when you’re listening to Dusty’s hits such as I Only Wanna Be With You, The Look of Love, I Just Don’t Know What To With Myself, and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, plus her 80s hits with the Pet Shop Boys you are shown how brilliant this icon really was. What was truly inspirational was the amazing harmonies between Ferguson and her on-stage and real-life love, South African journalist Claire, played by Mvula Tampa.

Mesmerising duets and emotional empathy between the two girls was intense and the bedrock of the biopic which was revealing and riveting. Add in the large screen flashbacks to the swinging 60s outlining Dusty’s rise to fame and ultimate untimely death in Henley and you have the makings of a hit – Dusty, who I interviewed in ‘88 – would be proud of this homage.

Forever Dusty, Theatre Royal Windsor, until Saturday, February 10. Box office: 01753 853888.