Sister Act

‘Sister Act - the musical’ is based on the story of the blockbuster movie of the same name, which we all know and love. The story follows the want-to-be star Deloris Van Cartier, after she witnesses her boyfriend, Curtis, commit a murder. Deloris’s life is then in danger so she is forced to take refuge in a Convent. In typical Deloris style, she is unable to lie low and she cannot help stirring things up with the other nuns. The musicals storyline has some extra twists and turns to the movie adding some extra themes into the show. The overarching message of love between friends is still central to this stage production, as it is in the film. Many people are surprised and apprehensive about this show due to the musical numbers being different to those which appear so iconically in the film. There is definitely no need to worry about this as the songs in the stage show are cleverly written to aid the storyline as well as being catchy and extremely memorable. There are never any feelings of disappointment with the shows score.

The show got off to an amazing start with very full on and enthusiastic performances from all. The audience were wowed by the standard of this production from the very first number, ‘Take me to Heaven’. The band and chorus vocals were first class producing a very strong and well balanced sound, ‘Sunday Morning Fever’ being particularly good. The principals singing was also fantastic and they were able to portray strong emotions within their performances especially during the songs ‘The Life I Never Had’ and ‘Sister Act.’

The show was superbly cast with people suited to the characters they played. Each member of the cast did a good job of maintaining their characterisations whilst giving some extremely memorable and well received performances. This included all the chorus members who all had different personalities. Comedy was brought to the forefront throughout the show. One of the funniest sections was when Curtis’s boys preformed ‘Lady In The Long Black Dress,’ this would have definitely been a talking point for many of the audience members at the end of the show.
The cast were extremely enthusiastic from the very beginning of the show, this said, the cast did manage to rain this in for the second act to capture the emotions and heartfelt unity during ‘Sister Act- Reprise.’ This was put across very well and in addition to the high standards of the individuals the considered direction definitely brought the best out of the cast and should be commended. All the relationships between characters were believable helping the audience to live through the show and feel the story.

Choreography was fantastic with every cast member on fine point, the routines were well put together and not one noticeable foot placement was wrong, the routines were interesting, varied and allowed the cast to remain in character. The clever staging of the chorus ensured a clear and neat visual experience for the audience. This would have been difficult as there was a relatively large number of cast members on the stage.

The set was well utilised and was of a sturdy construction proving fit for purpose and had enough variation to ensure the audience knew that scenes were in different locations, despite not having many full stage backcloths. Costumes were varied, colourful and the reveals worked well. The attire was one of the highlights of the show and really did complete the standard of this production. Sound and lighting were both managed well and were fundamental in adding to the overall quality and finish of the production. On occasion, crew could be seen on stage during the changes but they were prompt and effective in these transitions.

There was a timing issue with one musical number on the night we attended which was just one of those things and it did not disrupt the flow of the show or effect everyone's overall impression of the production. The show ended with a feel good finale and everyone left with huge smiles on their faces singing along to the finale song, ‘Raise Your Voice.’
The show was sold out a number of weeks before opening night and we feel privileged to have been able to see it. The whole production was superb from beginning to end. We are sure that this show will be talked about for a very long time. The society should be extremely proud of their standards and the talent that they have within their membership. The combination of all elements within this show has created a fantastic production. We’d like to thank the society for their kind hospitality and wish them well for their future.

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