Nunsense

This production is one of several in a series that was popular in the 1980s. Although billed as a musical comedy, I wondered at first whether it was a touch of Sister Act - The Pantomime. As the evening progressed, each of the five nuns had various solo and duet songs to sing as well as concerted numbers and also included some stand-up comedy.  I was nearly expecting the Monty Python voice announcing, “And now for something completely different”. With a totally silly story of a nunnery being nearly wiped out by a useless cook, the Mother Superior opening a greetings card company and bodies kept in the freezer because of lack of burial funds, it is probably the craziest plot I have ever seen in a production. HOWEVER, it was extremely funny and so well performed by all five nuns that you could not help laughing nearly all the way through.

The music was provided by a three-piece band led by James Rushman. They played a score involving a vast variety of music genres, many changes of tempo and quite a lot of underscoring superbly. The five singers were Sr Mary Regina, Mother Superior  (Jeanette Fido), Sr Mary Hubert (Stephanie Drake), Sr Robert Anne (Laura Thornett), Sr Mary Leo (Louise Winch) and Sr Mary Amnesia (Lizzie Gibson). Sr Amnesia had two comedy songs which were greatly enjoyed by the audience.  The Rev. Mother had a solo, “Turn up the Spotlight”, a touch of the Bruce Forsyth’s “I’m in charge”. Sr Robert Anne had three songs very well performed. Sr Mary Leo also had the added task of dancing a lot because that was her life’s ambition. Sr Hubert took the lead in the final song, “Holier than thou”, and together all five nuns joined in the ensemble songs to give some great harmonies, depth  and colour to them.

The set was a local school’s hall where their performance was taking place. Lighting and technical tasks were well executed. DIrector, Emily Dadson, kept the speed and continuity flowing at a pace throughout the evening. Congratulations to all involved for a thoroughly enjoyable production.   

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