Son of Town Hall (UK & USA)

Son of Town Hall

Meet Son of Town Hall, the unusual union of Ben Parker of London, England, and David Berkeley of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Parker, a highly sought-after London-based songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist, and Berkeley, a celebrated singer/songwriter/ author create a world that transcends time and space, complete with Victorian-era outfits, meditations about the sea and songs that beg you to sing along. The show is three-parts concert, one-part theatre. It will leave you transformed, with your heart full of laughter and tears, drunk on adventure and the tragic beauty of the human condition.

Son of Town Hall was born when the two found themselves side by side aboard a junk raft (‘The Son of Town Hall’) crossing the mighty Atlantic in search of new lands, new inspiration, and to recover squandered fortune. The two have sailed their ship back a century or so, and their song and story cycle follows the pair across the open waters and from town to town as they travel the frontier bouncing primarily from one failed endeavour to another. Though they fall for temptation and countless false promises, their belief in humanity and each other never flags.

Audiences consistently leave a show swaying like they’ve been to sea themselves and muttering that they’ve never quite experienced something like it. If the early indications prove true, the two will soon need to build a bigger boat, for everyone who floats near them wants to jump aboard.

“It’s part balladry, part performance art, and totally cool. American singer-songwriter David Berkeley and Brit Ben Parker have taken a step back in time with the creation of Son of Town Hall. Think Simon & Garfunkel lost at sea, and you get a sense of the mythic world at play here.” – Philadelphia Inquirer

'Sensational!' – John Platt, WFUV

'Nothing short of stunning' – Lisa Schwartz, Director Philadelphia Folk Festival

'Unique and beautiful…unforgettable.' – Phil Collins (Austin, TX)