Sister Act

Author: Susanne Crosby

Information

Date
21st April 2023
Society
Brighton Theatre Group
Venue
The Old Market, Brighton
Type of Production
Musical
Director
Michael Burnie
Musical Director
Carl Greenwood
Choreographer
Jodie Michele
Producer
Keith Shepherd
Written By
Book by Cheri &Bill Steinkellner, Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Glenn Slater

There is nothing else like “Sister Act”. Deloris Van Cartier: a lounge singer who witnesses a murder, who is then forced to hide in witness protection in a convent disguised as a nun - is perhaps an odd premise on first glance. But a woman who is so sure of herself and happy with who she is, except perhaps for her taste in men, is an empowering presence on any stage. Alongside her are the nuns: so incredibly kind and generous and want the best for everyone, cosseted away from the real world in a convent and when confronted by the world have hilarious individual responses to it. This story of when worlds collide, that both worlds feel they are perfectly happy and don’t want to change, suddenly find all their lives much richer and happier for the massive collision. This 2006 musical was an instant hit, based on the equally massive hit 1992 musical film starring Whoopi Goldberg in the lead role and Dame Maggie Smith as the Mother Superior. Even though the story in the stage version is slightly different from the film, plus it’s set in 1977 which brings its own societal challenges; it still has soul music at its core, and somehow simply filling the stage or screen with singing nuns is both funny and uplifting.

Brighton Theatre Group’s production of Sister Act is actually an improvement on a professional level production: it has all the professional standards of production and acting, plus it retains the fresh enthusiastic vivre of a group of talented actors and actresses who all know and support each other and are having the time of their lives on the stage. Director Michael Burnie has done an incredible job of directing: precise yet gentle, drilled and professional yet fresh. These were not actors going through the motions, these were characters in a story that you absolutely believed, 100%. Even when not dancing, the 40 strong cast must have been choreographed across the space, yet in the acting segments it did not look choreographed, which is a skill in itself.

The set was made of three front facing flats on either side of the stage staggered decreasingly inwards for a tapering effect and a back wall. The side flats turned round to be inside the convent. This was a very simple but very effective way of switching between the many locations that were needed. Each scene was created with the furniture that was brought on: Curtis’ ‘office’ was stage left while Eddie’s desk in the police station was stage right. The nuns brought on benches to sit on when they were on and a bar appeared at the back during that scene. Various other key items went on and off at various times, including a piano, so slickly as part of the show, that it was often that they noiselessly ‘just appeared’.

The costumes were absolutely right for the time: from the nuns habits which were timeless, to the lounge singer attire to the gangsters: looking as if they had walked out of an episode of ‘Starsky and Hutch’ or ‘Kojak’ in the 1970’s. Also, they didn’t look like costumes, and the actors looked like they lived in them rather than just putting them on for the show, which all helps the audience believe they are who they present as. Except of course for the lead who looked suitably restricted and unimpressed with having the swap her tiny top and shorts and glorious blue suede thigh boots for the massive nun’s habit. That was the baseline of the costumes: when the nuns started ‘performing’ their habits became glitzier, and then finally super glitzed. The most inventive costume moment has to be the Policeman Eddie (played with great geekiness and sensitivity by Toby Lord) in his funny yet mournful solo “I could be that guy” in the street, where the homeless got up as backing dancers and as part of the song tore off his uniform in one movement to reveal shiny 70’s handsomeness, who could be boyfriend material, and then at the end, they tore off that, to reveal his Police uniform underneath. Brilliant.

The stage was set on entering with three altar boys in full regalia swinging incense as if we were all walking into a Catholic Church. However, it was lit with colour more like a nightclub, so it set the tone for the duality of what was to come. The choreography was absolutely superb: and choreographing that many people in a small space takes skill and patience as well as talent. There were some beautiful tableau pictures created, as well as the individual dance pieces with choreography tailored to their characters. There is something so impossibly funny about a group of 70’s style gangsters dancing and singing about how they are going to kill Deloris when they find her and playing it utterly straight. The “Lady in the long black dress” number was reminiscent of ‘Float on’ by the Floaters where they sing about chatting up the nuns to gain entry into the convent was absolutely hilarious. Even in the big numbers, and at one point there were two groups of nuns going round in formation at the same time on the stage, these dancers were tight, they were drilled. Plus, the choreography is really interesting and modern. It must be difficult to choreograph for people when the only detail on show to the audience would be head, shoulders and arms, because the rest is hidden under habits as they are dressed as nuns: but it did not look like Choreographer Jodie Michele had any difficulty at all, it was a triumph.

As was the singing and the music. The music is in the show is different to the film but, they are all such catchy tunes it sounds like music you have heard before. The voices were gorgeous, all of them. Sharon Starr playing the Mother Superior sang beautifully, although it is difficult to single anyone out. Everyone sang in character which was also such a good added detail. The singing was first class from everyone, with the exception of the introduction to the choir in the beginning where they are supposed to be bad – this must have been tricky given how good they all are in reality.

Given how many people there were on stage in certain points it might be thought that the singing, acting and dancing was as a block, but no – there were added details from various people in each large segment: one nun getting a little jiggy, one of the altar boys getting very enthusiastic: these delicious details were fabulous, so funny, and proving there is no such thing as a small part. All of the gangsters were great, and shone individually as well as a dysfunctional group: again, so very funny. As to the main nun characters: the shy Sister Mary Robert (played by Ellie Earl), the massively enthusiastic Sister Mary Patrick (played by Sophie Graffin) and the stern older Sister Mary Lazarus (played by Carol Hatton) were almost straight out of the film, which was utterly wonderful. They had studied, they were absolutely those nuns in every aspect of their acting and singing; yet they had also added their own touches to make them their own. Gorgeous detailed acting made these incredibly likeable characters that the audience instantly warmed to. And the lead role, absolutely beautifully played by Ayesha Campbell, as if she was born to play it. Channelling a combination of the original Whoopi Goldberg character from the film and ‘Foxy Cleopatra’ from the ‘Austen Powers’ film, she held the whole piece with such energy and drive, plus she was barely off the stage. It’s a big role, a massive ask, and she rose to it with seeming effortlessness. She also added the trademark Whoopi bottom wiggle while conducting the choir at one point which was superb. I could literally wax lyrical about how good she was for another 500 words all by herself.

The journey they all go on in this story, in this show, makes it wonderfully heart warming. Brighton Theatre Group have treated this with care and attention and made this one of the most joyful and beautiful shows that anyone could ever see. While the best line undoubtedly belongs to Sister Mary Robert, when they follow Deloris (as Sister Mary Clarence) into the bar and she starts liking the music, saying “This must be how Protestants feel!” which resulted in the loudest guffaws from the packed audience; this whole production was incredible, and utterly flawless. Congratulations to everyone involved and for the well deserved standing ovation from the entire audience at the end of the show.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.

Other recent show reports in the South East region

Funders & Partners