Sister Act

Although I know Bridgnorth quite well from my love of the Severn Valley Railway and past use of it for some corporate events I’d organised, it was my first visit to see a theatrical production in the town so I was very much looking forward to joining the audience for the local musical theatre company’s production of ‘Sister Act’ at the Halo Bridgnorth Endowed Leisure Centre.

The original stage production of ‘Sister Act’ premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in California in October 2006, breaking all box office records, and opened at the London Palladium in October 2010.

Largely based on the 1992 film of the same name featuring original music by eight-time Oscar winner, Alan Menken, and starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act tells the story of aspiring disco diva Deloris Van Cartier in a stage show which follows a brilliant storyline and contains a wealth of great production numbers.

As an out of work lounge singer struggling to earn a living in 1970’s Philadelphia, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a violent murder and, as a key witness, is placed into hiding in a local convent where the police feel sure she will be safe and not discovered by the villains responsible. To make matters worse, one of these crooks is her gangster boyfriend, Curtis Jackson. Disguised as a nun, at first Deloris feels her new sequin-free lifestyle is dull and lacklustre and not made any easier by the rigid demands of the Mother Superior, but having heard the unmelodious tones of the convent choir, Deloris quickly sees an opportunity to brighten things up. Using her musical talent to inspire them, she quickly earns the respect of her new friends and turns them into a remarkable singing group capable of performing a wide range of songs both religious and some a little more upbeat. But in bringing new life into the church and community, she blows her cover and it isn’t long before the gang gives chase, only to find them up against Deloris and the power and strength of her newly found sisterhood.

Such was the absolute monumental undertaking of this production in what only a few days before opening night had been an empty gymnasium, we were now sitting in very comfortable tiered seating admiring a fully open raised stage framed in a golden gothic arched proscenium with further matching legs upstage and initially a smaller platform with red curtains within it at the back. As the show progressed, this cleared the way for a short flight of steps leading up to a beautiful altar with magnificent stained-glass windows behind it. Looking up and around, from the level and complexity of stage lighting that had been installed, you would have been forgiven for thinking that you weren’t sitting in a major London theatre and when the band started to play and the show began, the quality of the sound was simply outstanding.

Sister Act is anything but a one-woman show but it is essential to have a leading lady who has the voice, charisma and energy to meet the huge demands of the role of Deloris and in Sharodene Naomi Mellis, Bridgnorth Musical Theatre Company found exactly the right person.

Not to put too fine a point on it, Sharodene Naomi was simply superb, her great confidence and considerable talents, bringing the character to life magnificently with unbridled energy and comic timing shining through in every aspect of her performance. Opening the show in a night club audition for her gangster friend with two pitch-perfect disco numbers – ‘Take Me To Heaven’ and ‘Fabulous Baby’ - and ably supported by backing singers Tina (Katie Lumby) and Michelle (Jane Woods), the show wasted no time in getting off to a breathtaking pace which never faltered throughout the evening, the disco flavoured music accompaniment very well played by an eight-piece band under the masterly directorship of Stephen Roberts who also played Keyboard 1.

In complete contrast to Deloris, I simply loved the beautiful singing voice and incredible diction of Jessica Miller who gave a truly heart-warming performance as the Mother Superior and portrayed the role with a skilful combination of sternness on the one side and sincerity, love and understanding on the other. ‘Here Within These Walls’ and ‘I Haven’t Got A Prayer’ were superbly performed and very clearly highlights of the whole evening. I was also fascinated to watch how cleverly her attitude towards Deloris visibly became warmer as the stage action progressed.

Deloris’s old school friend and police contact Eddie Souther – ‘Sweaty Eddie’ – was played with great sensitivity by Ben Copeland who clearly had a soft spot for Deloris and sang and acted with great strength and feeling, especially in a very enjoyable rendition of  ‘I Could Be That Guy’.

Karl Thompson was suitably menacing as the ruthless gangster Curtis Jackson and brought out the sinister nature of the character, especially in his strong vocal of ‘When I Find My Baby’ with his three stooges, TJ (Kaeden Whitehouse), Pablo (Harry Etheridge) and Joey (Ryan O’Mahony). Having ended up in bad company, they turned out to be really nice guys who worked well together as a comedy threesome. Their joint number, ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’ was very slickly performed with some incredibly amusing choreography which was a big hit with the audience.

There was not one weak link among the nuns who all performed brilliantly, and whilst there were too many to list by name in my review, there are three I must mention …

Right from the start as the hilarious and bubbly Sister Mary Patrick, Sam Whitehouse embraced Deloris’s energetic style and helped uplift her fellow nuns in a truly fabulous performance. Barbara Preece handled her role of the very determined Sister Mary Lazarus with great style and polish, initially resisting Deloris’s changes but soon adapting to and greatly enjoying the choir’s new style. And finally Izzy Williams as Sister Mary Robert, the postulant nun who had only chosen to be a nun because she had nothing else to do! Izzy’s incredible performance of ‘The Life I Never Led’ was a real showstopper in which we visibly witnessed her confidence grow in a few short minutes into the most amazing vocal climax! Truly brilliant! I don’t think there would have been many dry eyes in the house!

And finally, I must mention Paul Turner who had us greatly entertained with his three separate and very amusing comedic characters including the convent priest, Monsignor O’Hara, with a very believable Irish accent.

And, as always in a show of this magnitude, the principal characters were ably portrayed by members of the ensemble in the smaller cameo roles.

The stage settings had been deliberately kept simple but very effective just the same with reversible trucks and appropriate furniture - the Confessional and Mother Superior’s Office were very well appointed – and in the absence of full flying height, a beautifully painted cloth displaying a five-arched corridor in the convent was very cleverly drawn across the stage to cover the more complicated scene changes whilst allowing the stage action to continue uninterrupted.

The wardrobe for the entire show had also been very well selected and apart from the nun’s traditional habits, there was a colourful selection of costumes and uniforms to complement the production especially in the finale. I feel sure the sight of Deloris and the Sisters in their pyjamas brought a smile to many faces.

Nowadays the availability of LED intelligent lighting provides a huge step forward in stage presentation but only through careful and highly detailed programming and operation can it be effective. ‘Sister Act’ was masterfully lit from start to finish by James Hammond. It was also nice to see a more traditional mirror ball used to great effect! The sound too was of exceptional quality with a perfect balance struck between the band and onstage performers. There were many radio sets in use and not one missed cue largely thanks to Dan Bradley’s infinite control. Many congratulations also to Phil McIver for the smooth operation of the stage and slick scene changes.

But, as always, my final comments, and probably the most important, must go to Director, Tim Brown, who had clearly communicated his vision for this musical classic to every member of the company as every individual and group performance was of an exceptional theatrical standard. To Stephen Roberts for the brilliant direction of all the musical numbers and the accompaniment of his band and to Cat Billingham for the spectacular and breathtaking choreography, very clearly some of the very best I’ve seen.

Thank you so much for inviting Andy Brown and I to see ‘Sister Act’. We’re already looking forward to visiting you all again next year.

Chris Bell, Acting Regional Representative District 2

Unlike Chris, this was my second visit to Bridgnorth Musical Theatre Company, having attended their 2025 production of Made in Dagenham (NODA nominated for Best Musical 2025 in the district – with the winner to be announced on 29 March 2026). With that in mind, I was keen to see Sister Act and find out whether the production would match the standard of their previous show.

On entering the ‘auditorium’, one could be forgiven for forgetting what the room actually is – a sports hall!

Chris has said much of what I would also say, and more. This production was wonderful and totally absorbing. The vocals were clear throughout, and Chris has already mentioned many of the highlights. The choreography was well executed, with the whole ensemble fully engaged, whether they were the youngest member on stage or among the more experienced performers.

In short, there was not a single fault in this production. Bless you all and thank you for the invitation.

As for 2027 – well, for one, I cannot wait to hear what it will be and hopefully attend next February.

Andy Brown, Regional Councillor NODA West Midlands

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