Community Service, devised by Birmingham arts and theatre company Stan’s Cafe, comes to our Patrick Studio this week with the true story of Trevor Prince, a Black British hero.

Trevor was one of the Midland’s first Black police officers and a leading figure in the gospel music scene. He was a man who contributed to many different communities across Birmingham and his story offers a huge amount of history and emotion to the musical.

The backdrop is that of 1980s Britain and the Handsworth Riots, civil unrest and racial friction is rife, there is division within churches and younger generations, and everyone seems to turn to Trevor for support, whilst he battles his own issues.

Set in two different time frames, the show details Trevor’s introduction to the police service at the age of 16 and the development of his band; where the second half presents us with his daughter’s feelings towards her father being a part of both the police and Rastafarian communities.

With live music on stage which embraces gospel, Jamaican reggae and Motown-influenced funk, the thought-provoking show has an uplifting spirit and strong gospel feel.

Trevor passed away in 2019, and the narrative of the musical was developed by creators at Stan’s Cafe, with the help of his children and family.

Community Service runs at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 8 May – Saturday 11 May, click here for more information and tickets.