There is both humour and pathos in Nia Williams’s clever new musical, Daddy’s Girls, which premiered at the Burton Taylor Studio Theatre last November and returned this week for two nights at the Old Fire Station. Three half-sisters have heard that their father has died, and meet at his house to sort through his effects. They all have different memories of Daddy — the middle sister, Rose, remembers him fondly, but the other two are not so sure. But the three have one thing in common — they are all hoping he has left them a sizeable legacy, while each also believes herself to have been Daddy’s favourite and therefore in line for a special reward.

All of these differing memories and emotions come out against a background of laughter, pensiveness and occasional bickering, and there are some entertaining songs and dance routines, performed with great energy and spirit by the three singers, Sarah Leatherbarrow, Jane Hainsworth and Rebecca Martin. At times it seemed that the plot was just a little too thin to sustain an entire two-act musical; the same idea could probably have been condensed into a one-act piece, which could have moved along at a more cracking pace. But there were some wonderful moments, and some of the songs were very catchy, particularly The Thing About Her, in which the sisters take turns to bitch about each other, and Turning Into Mother, when the girls gaze into mirrors and realise that their advancing years are turning them into replicas of their mother.

The piece ends in an upbeat and philosophical mood; the sisters are disappointed that there is apparently no windfall from their father’s legacy, but enriched by a new-found affection for each other. The musical appears to be over — but there is one final twist that leaves the audience laughing.

Daddy’s Girls is now out on CD; for details, and to hear sample tracks, visit www.niawilliams.com.