Sister Act

Sister Act is the story of wannabe club singer Deloris Van Cartier who goes into hiding after witnessing a murder by her on-off boyfriend Curtis Jackson.   Made to dress like a nun she is hidden in the beleaguered Queen of Angels Convent.  Precinct cop (sweaty) Eddie pays off Monsignor O’Hara who is desperate for the cash to repair the church and so takes Deloris in, despite protests from Mother Superior.   Once inside the convent Deloris teaches the nuns about disco music and the church congregation grows in appreciation of the vocals of the newly invigorated choir.  However, there is still a looming threat from Curtis and his cronies.

Making her debut with the company Shelley Henry was a fabulous Deloris and from her opening song it was clear the audience was in for a treat.  With her soulful vocals and great comedic timing Henry really made this role her own.  Deloris has to battle with Mother Superior and Lisa Kendall certainly made sure it was a full-on fight.  Playing Mother Superior with a lot of humour, Kendall ensures we are in no doubt that Deloris is testing her patience.  Amy Vickers was full of fun and charm as the lively Sister Mary Patrick bringing a fabulous energy, as well as her strong vocals, to the nuns chorus.

Ruth Lockwood was a sweet Sister Mary Robert, delighting in Deloris’ stories from beyond the convent walls.  She definitely left the audience willing her to try another vocation with her beautiful singing of ‘The Life I Never Led’.  Nicola Duval was hilarious as the rapping veteran nun Sister Mary Lazarus.  Duval added some great physical comedy moments and really captured the character.

Lee Caddick as the sweaty cop Eddie who has a yearning for Deloris was great throughout, particularly in his solo in ‘I Could Be That Guy’.  Richard Longbottom, as villain Curtis, was most definitely a nasty piece of work, but one with a strong singing voice who made the most of his number ‘When I Find My Baby’.  Unfortunately, his erstwhile gang left a lot to be desired in terms of criminal ability, but they made up for it with their humour and great interactions.  Dan Wilkinson, Jacob Whitehead and Chris Littler-More as Joey, TJ and Pablo were thoroughly entertaining and their number ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’ was hilarious, with great singing and fabulous choreography.

There a several cameo roles and all of these had been well cast and with a strong ensemble the company ensured that pace was great.  Costumes, props and set were to a high standard and the set pieces were cleverly done and moved efficiently by cast and crew.  The production used the space well, including the church and the feature stained-glass window which was well lit.  Light and sound was excellent.

Director, Ashley Booker, found humour throughout the script giving the audience a fun and feel-good show, but not neglecting the important messages of love, friendship and working together regardless of any differing views about a ‘higher power’.  Pete Lane had worked his MD magic with the excellent singing and wonderful harmonies - in a show about the importance of music this has to be just right and Lamproom MTC certainly captured that.  The Choreography, by Dani Sampson, throughout the production was excellent and great use was made of the dancers in the ensemble.

Well done to all the production team, cast and crew – it really was a fabulous, feel-good production which will have the eight show, sell-out audiences leaving the theatre in the best spirits.

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