Sister Act

This musical is based on the 1992 film of the same name, made famous by memorable performances by Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith, and first opened in the West End in 2009.

There was a simple set with a lovely and very effective stained glass window on the back wall that was covered as required. Scene changes were extremely slick and well planned, which kept the action at full pace. 

Deloris - Frankie had a terrific voice and belted out the songs with great character. This was especially evident in one of her opening numbers ‘Fabulous, Baby!’, along with Emily and Becky, who all sang and moved well to produce a strong start to the show.  Frankie performed with energy, excellent comic timing and strong acting skills. Very well done.

Mother Superior - Michelle had a beautiful voice and was equally comfortable with comedy as she was with the sterner or more poignant moments. I especially loved ‘Here within these walls’. A really lovely, considered performance. 

Sister Mary Robert - Carisma was great as this shy, timid nun and managed the progression as her character gains confidence well. Her performance in ‘Raise your voice’ really showcased her vocal skills.

Sister Mary Patrick - Daisy was fabulous as this excitable and loud character. Her facial expressions were hilarious and she gave a spirited and joyous performance throughout.

Sister Mary Lazarus - Dani had a lovely deep voice and surprised and delighted everyone with her excellent rapping. 

Eddie - Davey gave a very sweet portrayal of this kind hearted cop and the audience were really rooting for him to get together with Deloris. 

Curtis - Tim, together with his gang of TJ, Joey and Pablo (Noah, Frank and Paul) worked well together as the hapless baddies. They all had a good energy and sang and performed well. 

The principals were well supported by the ensemble, most notably by the group of nuns. They sang well and gave characterful performances. Choreography by Anna was excellent and varied and delivered with real energy by the cast.

The Band, led by musical director Helen, was excellent.  Unfortunately, they were a little loud in the performance I saw, so we missed quite a lot of the dialogue when it was underscored. However, they produced a great sound and did full justice to Alan Menken’s excellent score. 

Direction by Sarah produced a fast paced and very slick show. The big numbers were joyous and very much enjoyed by the packed audience. This was very much a team effort and all came together to produce a great evening’s entertainment. Well done! 

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