Sister Act

Nikki Mundell-Poole’s direction used every part of the available stage and added a bit more with the Nuns lining up on the steps and the bad guys using the auditorium exit. Changes of location were made obvious and the characters were well defined. This witty show began in a slightly seedy bar where a few seedy chaps were watching an audition.The choreography matched the different genres and worked for different abilities. Backing tracks were used for this production but the cast followed the baton of Nik Graham and we gradually forgot it wasn’t a live band.

Grace Ward gave us a sassy confident Deloris and enjoyed every moment. Her diction was excellent, her vocals strong and her body language mirrored her thoughts. Mother Superior, Lorraine Ely, had some lovely facial expressions and great comic timing. Kate Alliston was both endearing and funny as Mary Patrick and worked well with Heidi Merriam as an impish Mary Lazarus. Sister Mary Robert, Jess Webster, grew in confidence before our eyes and shone as she hit her high notes. I enjoyed the improvements heard from the Nun’s choir and they held some lovely harmonies in Act 2. 

Alan Edwards was a menacing baddy with strong vocals. Lee Downes had great physicality and comic timing as TJ. Philip Spurgeon was very funny as the Spanish speaking Pablo and Stuart Turnball was a revelation as Joey. Their Act 2 trio was a comedy triumph. Sam Perren, as Eddie Souther, was kind and caring and had a lovely voice. His big reveal moment was very clever. Michael Pearce as Monsignor O’Hara was a little unsure in Act 1 but smashed Act 2! It must have been the sparkle!

The dances were complicated and slick where they needed to be and relatively simple at other times but done well. I liked how the down and outs didn’t raise their eyes at the opening of Eddie’s song.

There were some sound issues at the beginning of the show which seemed to affect the confidence of some performers but once these were resolved the singing was much stronger.

This was a relatively simple set, changes of location were generally signalled by changes of furniture and clever folding signs. The back cloth used for the convent was very good. There were a couple of sticky first night moments when the stage crew weren’t sure whether to move or not but I’m sure these will disappear. The group must be commended for having a young stagehand who knew exactly what he was doing.

Lots of costumes were needed as almost everyone doubled up at some point. They kept the 70s vibe and there were some thoughtful accessories, including Deloris’s animal print undies, sunglasses and compact.

I would have liked to see more unity in the way the nuns wore their head coverings and some of the habits could do with an iron. This show didn’t need many props but they were all appropriate for the time.

The lighting was good and helped the audience understand the scene changes. As mentioned earlier there were a few problems with the sound which were sorted out. The backing tracks worked well but the gunshot sounds in the tracks lacked impact. There were some good sound effects of bells and echoes.

We were welcomed to the venue, chatted to the Director and Stage Manager and had a very enjoyable evening, thank you.

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