Sister Act

Celebrating their 140 years of Amateur Theatre Settle set themselves a challenge with this show.  The stage was interestingly pre-set with three distinct playing areas which made the most of quite a small playing area for the Society.  

The Mother Superior is in despair, no money, a crumbling church and no congregation.  She prays for help and guidance.  Deloris Van Cartier an extrovert, red hot momma type night club singer sees a murder and the police decide she should go into hiding for her own safety.  She is placed, care of the Nuns, at the Church.  Is this the answer to Mother Superior’s prayers?  The plot unravels as Deloris takes over the choir and changed their rather raucous harmonies into sweet sounding chords and toe tapping rhythms.  The murder gang keep unsuccessfully looking for Deloris and the Police Officer takes care of her safety.

There was some very good acting in this production, Beth Lowe as Deloris, playing through all her emotions as the love she receives from the Nuns changes her outlook on life.  Trudy Wilson, a serene Mother Superior trying, at all times, not to let her feelings show.   Chris Sturrock (Sister Mary Lazarus) dashing about the stage with her very funny walk, Emily Coates (Sister Mary Patrick), Alice Syms (Sister Mary Robert) added some quality singing.  All the ladies chorus played different characters with their own nuances and style of voice.  The men couldn’t quite keep up to the standard of the women but there was a lovely song from Paul Clayton (Eddie) and Eric Parker (Monsignor O’Hara) kept up his Irish accent throughout.  

In the long second act the story ends happily as the Congregation in the church swells because of the lovely music, the coffers become full and the murderer is caught.

This was an enjoyable evening, my only very slight criticism would have been a little more light was needed, especially in the centre of the stage, with mainly black costumes and not a lot of colour in the scenery it always looked a little glum.  Sound, props and costumes were good.  I had thought the show to have been accompanied by a backing tape and I was very pleasantly surprised at the end of the evening when the back-cloth was raised and there was the orchestra, who had played superbly throughout the evening accepting not only the applause of the audience but also those on stage.   What a superb team effort this had been.

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