Sister Act

This was my first visit to the Assembly Rooms in Ludlow and it was a surprising discovery. What a treasure! The deceivingly capacious labyrinth hidden behind an innocuous entrance is well worth a visit and one I look forward to exploring more of next time I am in Ludlow.

The show itself didn’t disappoint either. From the opening number, entranced through the auditorium by the very lovely and very talented Kaylie-Marie McCarroll as Delores Van Cartier, we were tapping those toes. Kaylie- Marie was perfect in the role and had the strident, melodious tone which was the right balance for the vibrant Dolores she was depicting. Her rendition of ‘Fabulous Baby’ was exactly that and only surpassed by her heartfelt ‘Sister Act’ which, had she stayed in the light, would have been wonderful as she deserved to be seen singing such a fantastic song. However, her ‘Take me to Heaven’ was exemplary. She certainly had the best songs and boy could she sing them!

Curtis and his gang were typically characterised as the bumbling and not very bright villains, trying to find and eliminate Delores for witnessing a murder. I like each of their characterisation. Joe Rolt as Curtis, Ed Dunne as TJ, Olly Handley as Joey and Conor Stobart as Pablo were a joy to watch. They had the audience laughing out loud especially when Olly, Conor and Conor sang ‘The Lady in the Long Black Dress’ which showcased their comedic capabilities.

Mitchell Worton played Officer Eddie Souther in a different style to what I have seen previously. His characterisation reminded me of Oliver Hardy with a pleasant portrayal of a shy and slightly inadequate man who gets his girl in the end, with a sudden spirt of heroism thrown in. Well done throughout.

The Nuns were a joy to listen to with their beautiful harmonies and quick-witted responses that flowed seamlessly. Mother Superior played by Emma Coates was great and her sternness just right. I enjoyed her singing ‘I haven’t got a Prayer’ very much but her walking the stage whilst singing it did detract a little from the emotion she was putting into the number.

Sister Mary Roberts was played by Peyia Baker and certainly gave her all to the role. Her timing was spot on. Leah Merrick was Sister Mary Patrick and was extremely likeable in the role with the same bubbly personality which has become synonymous with the role. Leah has a great voice too. As too does Ellen Harris as Sister Mary Lazarus. In fact, all of the nuns did a sterling job. Jonathan Phillips as Monsignor O’Hara literally threw himself into the role and made us all chuckle with his ‘free’ dancing in the penultimate scene. He certainly looked as if he was enjoying himself.

This really was a joyous production and I enjoyed it very much. As with any ‘non-live’ musical backing there are challenges to individual ranges but the cast coped well and the timing to the musical score was excellent and my admiration for this is boundless. It was perhaps a little too loud on occasions as I missed some of the singer’s delivery which was a shame. Needless to say, this was a performance to be proud of. Congratulations to you all.

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