Felon, Faith Healer, Preacher. The Reverend Raccoon is on the run from the law, with a charge sheet as long as his arm – and as the police close in, this could be his last chance to tell his story and justify his faith. Rev Raccoon’s story is a dark exploration of the seedier side of the American dream, running through much of what we associate with the southern US States: smooth talking conmen, exploitative TV evangelists, the love of guns. This premise and the charming Raccoon give rise to some decent moments, but these are familiar tropes, and unfortunately their effect is dampened by the slow pace of the performance.

JJ Fletcher’s script is well-structured, and the end-game ties the threads of Reverend Raccoon’s story together very well. It’s also a deeper and more thoughtful story than its funny, entertaining opening sequence might lead you to believe.

In between, however, the impetus is lost – though much of this is down to pacing issues that could be resolved as the run evolves. As often happens in a one-man show, we sometimes hear just one side of a conversation; the delay for the silent partner is consistently too long, at times allowing the audience to get ahead of the jokes. And that’s a shame, because there are certainly some good jokes in this show (albeit that they’re sometimes flagged or too obvious).

I like Gareth Watkins as an actor; he has a powerful presence, and he brings a solid masculinity to the stage. But while he has the charisma to portray the preacher man, he needs to let rip a bit and use his physicality more. As Reverend Raccoon, he lacks the strut and belligerence of a public preacher – think Billy Graham, think Ian Paisley – and because he seems slightly apologetic the whole way through, the contrast with the personal scenes where bravado is undercut with doubt is less effective than it could have been.

Perhaps the performance would benefit from a less chronological script. There is some good material around potatoes in one late sermon (you’ll learn why you should always go for the Baked Potato option in life) which allowed Watkins to do his preacher-man act to full effect, and clearly thoroughly engaged the audience. Seeing that material earlier could involve us more with the character, offer an easier route into understanding what he is about.

My frustration is that there is a much better show in here than experienced today. Some improvement will come naturally, as the pacing improves and Watkins gains confidence in the role. But the gags need to be sharper – and the clichés either toned down or, better, subverted.