Sister Act

The story of this Musical is well known from the Whoopi Goldberg film. The main story line is that of central character Delores Van Cartier, a nightclub singer, who is put into witness protection in a convent, after witnessing a murder and has an unexpected impact on life there. Anyone thinking they know the songs from the show if they have not seen it previously might be disappointed as the music is different to the film, but I guarantee that once they hear ‘Take me to Heaven’ they will forget the film and sit back and be entertained.

The set by Scenic Projects was large and at times a bit over fussy. The stage crew tried hard to make the changes as swift and silent as possible but did not always achieve it. There were several times when the sliding doors were opening and closing for scene changes, which were not really necessary and slowed down the continuity. You had the set so you used it, but with a little more thought I think things could have been done more simply. The lighting was carefully designed showing the set to full advantage. Set dressing and properties were appropriate for the different scenes, such as the Police Station.

I had one or two issues with the some of the costumes, which had been hired in; firstly the skirts of the nun’s habits were not full enough and had a slit in the back seam which meant you could see bare leg to the knee when they walked; secondly I did not like the brightly coloured pyjamas for the nuns, and I doubt they would have gone to bed in full wimples. Having said that the changes made to the habits as their ‘show biz image’ developed were lovely, with a real WOW factor for the finale.  Also the costume for Sweaty Eddie’s number, where he has two quick costume changes in full view of the audience, was clever and expertly timed.  

This show is obviously heavily weighted to a female cast but with six main male roles, which are of the utmost importance and are great parts, then there is the short lived Ernie and ensemble roles of The Pope, policemen, clergy and such, it is not exclusively a female show. Curtis was suitably aggressive and villainous and TJ, Joey and Pablo made an hilarious trio, their singing, dancing and comic timing were excellent. Tim Jones, as Eddie, started as a wimp but soon won over the audience displaying a wealth of sincerity. Monsignor O’Hara was played with great relish by Jonathan Dyer as a very funny ‘funky’ priest. Deloris is the one character everyone who has heard of Sister Act remembers, so she has to be a strong character and make an impact, this one certainly did, from her opening number ‘Take Me To Heaven’ in the nightclub, with her gyrating backing singers, you knew the show was in safe hands. All the characters gave strong performances and the nuns had obviously developed a good sense of solidarity. Mother Superior matched Deloris in her strength of character and had created a commanding role. Sister Mary Robert was vulnerable and uncertain and expressed herself beautifully in ‘The Life I Never Led’.  The unmusical Sister Mary Lazarus did eventually bow out gracefully and let Sister Mary Clarence (Deloris) take over the choir. 

Musically this show is loud and lively and Musical Director Allan Gillespie had made the most of this with his eleven musicians in the big numbers but unfortunately the sound balance with smaller groups in some scene was not good, where I was sitting I did not hear what was happening several times, for instance when Deloris and the nuns were in the bar and the rap number from Sister Mary Lazarus. The standard of singing was excellent from everyone portraying a full gambit of emotion throughout ... Allan and the cast had rehearsed long and hard to produce good solos, lovely harmonies and ending with the roof raising ‘Raise Your Voice’.

Sophie Constantine had not given herself an easy task in taking on this production as her directorial debut, plus providing the choreography, but she triumphed. The show had been well cast with everyone having an understanding of their character and producing individual portrayals, with clear dialogue, good timing, lots of energy and enjoyment. It was a nice touch with the Pope at the end. This is not a show that demands lots of ‘high kicks’ but all the routines were well devised and executed. This was a thoroughly enjoyable production both for performers and audience, which left everyone buzzing.

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