Sister Act

The story of “wannabee” nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier, who takes refuge in a convent after being witness to a murder by Curtis her married gangster boyfriend, is well known to audiences far and wide, and AMT certainly pulled out all the stops with this production.

The simple set of a back wall with large cut-out windows, and the orchestra behind, provided adequately for all the action that took place, from the nightclub to the “cop shop”, the convent, the cathedral, and all points between.

The opening was just “fabulous” with a mix of showgirls, gangsters, and cleaners – one with a magnificent pipe – and definitely set the tone for what was to come.

Everyone got under the skin of their individual characters from the start, without a weak link.

Curtis was suitably strong and intimidating and was extremely well supported by his “sidekick hoods”. These three young men were just brilliant, TJ with his fedora and period “pants”, fresh-faced Joey with his cheeky smile and the slightly “geeky” Hispanic Pablo who coped manfully with an “interesting” wig - they very nearly stole the show!

As the nuns drifted on to the strains of The Perfect Place their singing was aptly summed up by the Mother Superior “There are no words!”. The various characters of the “leading” sisters was evident immediately. Sister Mary Lazarus was initially grumpy but soon got in the groove and boogied with the best of them. Postulant Sister Mary Robert showed piety but also confusion within her role, well expressed in her solo number The Life I Never Led. Sister Mary Patrick was bubbly and effervescent, dancing enthusiastically as the warmth of her personality shone through. Sister Mary Martin was perfectly ethereal but still managed to make her mark amongst the more exuberant others, and the older Sister Mary Theresa, with her spectacles and stick, was spot on and certainly gave the gangsters what for!

The Monsignor with his charming Irish lilt was on Deloris’s side from the outset and his antics in the pulpit with his “shades” were hilarious. He was well supported by a variety of “servers”, but it did seem a tad incongruous when they gave out  the “mutton stew in the convent – obviously a dearth of spare cast at that point!

The role of the Mother Superior was beautifully played, stern and authoritative when necessary but also showing the softer, caring side of her nature. She was initially reluctant to having to harbour Deloris but soon realised what an asset she was, particularly in the improvement of the choir which was soon pulling the congregation in in droves!

Sweaty Eddie was simply superb and had the audience on his side straight away, his rendition of I Could be that Guy with the quick costume changes to match the personality brought the house down.

Hardly ever off-stage Deloris was amazing and made the perfect lynch pin for the whole show, singing and dancing with energy and verve, the warmth of her personality just spilled out into the audience with every move, and Take me to Heaven with the Monsignor and the Nuns made for a stunning finish to Act I!

Act II gave the opportunity for some great costume and scene changes, particularly the nuns at bedtime in pyjamas with their soft toys, The ensemble worked seamlessly together constantly changing from Nuns, to Hobos, and the rest, there was also a delightful “drag queen” who doubled as a radio presenter, and all must have made for a remarkably busy time backstage!

The scene changes were very effectively achieved by the members of the cast enabling everything to flow smoothly from action to action without any awkward pauses.

There was a lovely scene in the Confessional Box and a great riposte from Deloris to Mother Superior “God has sent me here for a reason – take the hint!”

All the music, singing and choreography were “top notch” and the myriad of costumes delightful. The sound and lighting were both excellent and certainly enhanced the production. Particularly memorable was Mother Superior’s solo Here Within these Walls as she stood DSC bathed almost in an embrace of shimmering light.

The whole production had that “wow” factor from start to finish and without a doubt deserved the warm and enthusiastic applause and standing ovation at the end. Well done!

                                   

 

 

 

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what they see at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance, and it is inevitable that their assessment will be affected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

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