"Nunsense- The Mega-Musical"

You would think that nuns would have a better understanding of the ten commandments. There’s one about not killing people, for instance, but we soon hear about the unfortunate demise of a large number of the sisters. Apparently, though, it was all accidental, following what’s described as “a culinary catastrophe involving soup”.  There’s another one about not stealing and there’s a bit of that going on here as the surviving sisters seize their chance to pinch the spotlight to tell us something about themselves. This is, however, all for the good of the convent as it’s part of what is really a revue intended to raise funds for the decent burial of a few more of their former colleagues, currently “chilling out” in the freezer.

The result is a number of excellent performances from a very talented cast.  Joy Warner proved a fine Reverend Mother with the task of trying to maintain some sort of order, whilst occasionally wishing she had not left her previous life in the circus.  Her song on a tightrope is perhaps something of a metaphor for the way in which all leaders need to maintain a delicate balance.  Sister Mary Hubert is her somewhat frustrated deputy, not keen on her given name but with some aspirations for subsequent promotion.  Clare Meadley gave a constantly amusing performance in this role, giving a particularly good lead in the closing number (“Holier than thou”).  If her character should perhaps study the commandment about not coveting what her neighbour has, so too should Sister Robert Anne, not content to be the understudy as her song “Playing Second Fiddle” reminded us.  Emily Rockliff gave an entertaining performance as she succeeded in arousing our sympathy so that we were all pleased when her opportunity to shine eventually came (“I just want to be a star”).        Emma Craggs-Swainston as Sister Mary Leo clearly enjoyed opportunities to display her dancing skills in another very enjoyable performance.  Annabel van Griethuysen’s portrayal of Sister Mary Amnesia, apparently the victim of a falling crucifix, was particularly memorable. She quickly established rapport with the audience as she combined her quiz session with a series of hilarious ad-libs and went on to amuse us throughout the show, even extending to a bit of ventriloquism in one of her songs.  Later, she recovered her memory and told us how she “could have gone to Nashville” with a song in appropriately country style.

A number of other nuns gave valuable support, including Kathryn Addison as a feisty Sister Julia, Child of God, whose recipe seemed to have caused the earlier problem.  In an interesting (and perhaps brave) move, the part of Father Virgil was shared, a different one at each performance, which is one way of involving male members of the company in what is otherwise a female-dominated show. Ben Wood as Brother Timothy provided further male support as did a small band, appropriately placed a bit nearer heaven on the balcony. A fairly simple set reminded us that the action is supposed to take place in a school hall which is currently hosting a production of “Grease”.     

This is an ideal show for a small theatre such as this where every facial expression and gesture is readily visible and the cast made excellent use of the opportunity to work closely with their audience. Clearly, the director has succeeded in persuading each of his principals completely to inhabit their character. Add to this the high standard of singing and choreography which is always a feature of this company’s productions and the result is another great success.

So those are my thoughts. I trust I have not been guilty of breaking that other commandment about not bearing false witness.                                       

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