Sister Act

Its Christmas Eve at a disco nightclub in Philadelphia. Club singer, Deloris Van Cartier (Chloe Ratcliffe), and her two back-ups are performing in front of an empty house. A gangster and four henchmen appear. Van Cartier's boyfriend, Curtis Jackson (Steve Griffiths), owns the nightclub "Take Me to Heaven". Deloris is overjoyed as she believes her boyfriend is going to introduce her to a record producer on that day. She soon learns, however, that this is not to be. Jackson tells her he cannot join her for Christmas Day but gives her a coat, which she discovers belonged to his wife. Hurt and frustrated, Deloris goes to her backup singers, Michelle (Gabrielle Stanfield) and Tina (Jess Martin), about her dreams of stardom and fame "Fabulous, Baby!" She decides to break up with Jackson and head out of Philadelphia to go fulfil her dreams on her own. When she witnesses Jackson and his crew murder someone accused of "squealing" to the cops, terrified. Deloris promptly runs away as Jackson orders his men to get her and bring her back. Deloris runs into a police station and tells the desk chief, Eddie (Cameron Stevenson), about what has happened. The two recognize each other as old friends from school, with Deloris calling him "Sweaty Eddie." Eddie decides that Deloris needs to go into the witness protection programme and sends her to the place he believes Jackson will never find her: a convent! After much negotiation Eddie persuades the Mother Superior (Hayley Dale) to accept Deloris.  When Deloris arrives, she is disappointed to learn from the Mother Superior that contact with the outside world is limited and that she cannot smoke, drink or wear any of her less-than-appropriate clothing "Here within These Walls"

Deloris joins the other nuns for dinner and is introduced as Sister Mary Clarence. After several comedic interactions with the overly perky Sister Mary Patrick (Rosie Young), Deloris discovers just how much is limited when she is a nun. goes across the street to a slinky bar and is followed by Sister Mary Patrick and Sister Mary Robert (Hazel Thomas), a shy and quiet nun. When the two nuns arrive, they see how fun things can be outside of the convent   "It's Good to Be a Nun"

However, Deloris recognizes Joey (Archie Sprowson), TJ (Sam Darker) and Pablo (Zac Dale). Curtis informed them how he will not stop until he finds and kills Deloris “When I Find My Baby". Suddenly, there is a fight in the bar, giving Deloris, Sister Mary Patrick and Sister Mary Robert a chance to escape. Eddie and Mother Superior meet them back at the convent. Mother Superior confronts Deloris, telling her that she must conform to the life of the nuns. Eddie agrees and reveals that Jackson has upped the price on her head, so she needs to be careful. Deloris is informed that she has to wake up at 5 a.m. and join the choir, she is not impressed.  The following morning, Deloris attends the choir practice meeting the nuns, Sister Mary Gerard (Jess Martin) Sister Mary Philomena (Carla Dymond) Sister Mary Marin of Tours (Juie Rooney) Sister Mary Stephen (Jane Carruthers) Sister Mary Theresa (Joy McIntosh) Sister Mary Catherine (Sue Mears)Sister Mary Chiara (Sheryl Dean)  Sister Mary Lucille (Sue Hickman) Sister Mary Arthur (Ruby Summerscales) Sister Mary Ava (Laura Jones) Sister Mary Francis (Sarah Aincham) Sister Mary Agnes (Gabrielle Stanfield) and realizes how bad the situation is. Deloris offers to teach them, thus taking over from Sister Mary Lazarus (Pam Watson), an older nun. Deloris teaches the nuns how to sing in key and on time. She also manages to break the quiet and timid Sister Mary Robert out of her shell "Raise Your Voice". That Sunday, the choir performs a rousing, up-tempo hymn "Take Me to Heaven – Reprise". Although the church is struggling, the improved performance and new material bring an influx of donations and membership. Mother Superior, however, is horrified at how the simple, traditional choir she knew has changed and become modern.

Monsignor O’Hara (Ian Derereux-Robert) has some terrific news: the choir has been asked to perform for the Pope. The choir are overjoyed until the Mother Superior tells Deloris that Curtiss's men have just come looking for her and she must leave quickly. The other nuns overhear, and Deloris is forced to tell them the truth about who she really is and that she cannot perform with them However, it’s too late. Curtis and his men are already there, and it all comes down to a final confrontation in which Curtis, armed and dangerous, is about to start firing at Deloris when Eddie comes in and shoots Curtis. After the arrest of the thugs Deloris and Eddie get together. Mother Superior and Deloris come to a truce and accept that perhaps they are not so different after all. I am sure the Pope loved their performance.

 Beyond the strength of the principals and the energy of the ensemble, this production of Sister Act succeeded because of the clear vision and commitment behind the entire creative team. The director/Musical Director Liz Legerton deserves enormous credit for bringing warmth, humour and pace to the production, ensuring every scene flowed naturally while still allowing the emotional moments to land with sincerity. Musically, the production was in safe hands., with strong harmonies, crisp vocals and a vibrant sound that captured the infectious spirit of the score. The balance between comedy, heart and spectacle was handled beautifully, creating a show that felt polished, confident and hugely entertaining from start to finish. The staging throughout was imaginative and slick, with seamless scene changes that kept the momentum moving at exactly the right pace. From the lively convent scenes to the larger ensemble numbers, the production made full use of the stage space and created a colourful, dynamic atmosphere. Costumes, lighting and choreography all combined to give the show a professional feel, adding to the sense that this was a production created with genuine care, ambition and attention to detail.

Overall, this was a splendid production that showcased not only a talented cast, but also a dedicated creative team working together to deliver an uplifting and thoroughly enjoyable evening of musical theatre. E.P.M.T.C should be extremely proud.

Joanne Rymer

NODA

District 4

 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.