Sister Act the Musical

Salt & Pepper Productions made a welcome return to the stage with their production of ‘Sister Act the Musical’, which was directed by Joanna Milborne-Chatt. The set was constructed in-house and looked very good. With the band situated on stage, on top of the structure that was made; this allowed for a bigger playing area that was used well with this large cast. The auditorium was used for entrances and exits as well, which worked well, especially when Deloris and Eddie first entered the church, with Deloris looking around in awe. Other pieces of set were brought on by the cast to create different locations. This was done quickly and unobtrusively, helping with the pace of the production, which was very good. The candles being flown in for the scenes in the convent was a nice touch. Joanna’s direction was secure and she thought about how to enhance the comedy of the piece, such as Eddie getting off the table at the end of his number, and Joey’s pink thong in ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’. The quieter moments of the musical were thought about as well, and these were well staged, especially the quieter moments involving Mother Superior. The costumes were fantastic, transporting the audience to the seventies. The sequined costumes for the finale were fabulous. Well done to the costume team for sourcing these.

Michael J Scott took the helm as musical director, leading the convent band. Michael led the band very well. The vocals from the cast were very good, and the work from Michael was obvious with the ensemble numbers with the choir. There were some fantastic harmonies from the choir.

As well as directing, Joanna also choreographed this production. The choreography was fun and suited the disco era. There were moments of comedy choreographed into the numbers, which further added to the comedy, especially in ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’.

Technical elements were well integrated into the production. The sound balance was very good throughout the production. The lighting design was very good as well. The stained glass lighting effects that were incorporated into the set were a nice touch.

Taking on the role made famous by Whoopi Goldberg, Lucy Page took on the role of Deloris Van Cartier. Lucy’s vocals were a joy to listen to, and her acting through song was great. The way that Lucy came to appreciate the nuns and their way of living was well played, especially in the number ‘Sister Act’. This was a very good performance.

Debbie Allen was a delight as Mother Superior. Debbie had a great presence on stage, using her stillness to draw the audience in. There was a great emotion to Debbie’s performance, as Mother Superior battled with her conscious. Debbie’s vocals were strong, and she delivered her numbers very well.

The ensemble of Nuns radiated pure joy throughout this production. They were a cohesive unit, and their group numbers were fantastic to watch and listen to. Paige Grindrod was a great Sister Mary Robert. Her vocals were sublime and looked totally effortless. ‘The Life I Never Led’ was beautifully performed by Paige, as she questioned her religious calling. Suzie Lowe delivered some good comedy moments as Sister Mary Patrick. The moment when persuading Sister Mary Robert was particularly funny. Dawn Lloyd is a great character actress. Her performance here as the rapping Sister May Lazarus was a standout comedy performance in this production. Di Quinlivian Hurst (Sister Mary Martin of Tours) and Jacqui Burgess (Sister Mary Theresa) aided the comedic moments as well with some good characters.

Joe Clarke took on the role of Eddie Souther. Joe played the nervousness of Eddie well, especially in his interactions with Deloris. It was clear that Eddie harboured romantic feelings for Deloris through Joe’s performance. Joe added some great comedy moments throughout his performance. Getting off the table at the end of ‘I Could Be That Guy’ had the audience in hysterics.

Ian Lloyd had some great comic timing as Monsignor O’Hara, as he dealt with Mother Superior and Deloris. This was a secure performance from Ian.

Stuart Dutton was well cast as Curtis Jackson, Deloris’s gangster boyfriend. He led his gang well and was suitably threatening to Deloris and the nuns. Stuart’s vocal was good, and he delivered his number well.

Curtis’s gang were played by Billy Clarke (TJ), Michael Corteen (Joey) and Sam Salisbury (Pablo). They worked very well as a trio, and certainly added to the comedy. There were clearly defined characters in this trio, and their number ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’ brought the house down. Billy stood out in this trio, with great characterisation, some amazing vocals (especially the falsetto), and excellent dance moves.

The male ensemble cast (Bryan Austin, Ben Davies, Rhys Van Embden and Arran Kirwin) did well in their parts throughout, moving the story along.

Overall, this was a very good production. The energy was infectious throughout, there were some strong performances, and the comedy was high.

A big thank you to everyone at Salt & Pepper Productions for their kind invite and their hospitality.

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