One of my favourite films must be Sister Act (with its sequel just beating it into 1st place). You should be fairly confident that you know the story by now - you’ve had 30 long years to get up-to-date with it - but just in case it’s passed you by, here’s the lowdown.
Deloris Van Cartier, played by the utterly divine Attiye Passey (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Made in Dagenham) is an aspiring singer in Philadelphia, where she is auditioning to perform at the nightclub which is owned by her gangster boyfriend and all round thug Curtis, played by the rather brilliant Chas James (The King and I, Cinderella).
Deloris believes that she will be a star thanks to Curtis, but when it’s apparent that he is willing to commit, Deloris goes to tell him it’s over. She walks into his office only to witness him murdering one of his henchmen.
In a state of panic and fear for her life, Deloris goes to the police who want her to be a witness. She is supported by Detective Eddie Southern, played by talented Ricky Dowell (Aladdin, Jekyll and Hyde). Eddie is an old school friend of Deloris and has feelings for her, so helping her to stay alive was the least he could do!
Delores is placed under the care and protection of a convent which, they believe, would be the last place Curtis would find her. The order is run by the rather strict Mother Superior played by the incredible Shelia Wood (South Pacific, Sound of Music) who sees Deloris as distraction to the other nuns.
Over time, Deloris proves that she can make a real difference by turning the choir from hellish to heavenly with the intention to perform for the Pope and ultimately save their church. She eventually fits in with the other nuns who each have a unique and comedic character. Notably, Sister Mary Lazarus, played by the very entertaining Claire Jackson (Oklahoma, Annie) and Sister Mary Robert, played by Sophie Bishop (Legally Blonde, Cinderella) who is the rather timid nun struggling to find her voice, but when she does, it’s stunning; for both the character and the performer!
Without giving too much away (for those who still haven’t seen the film!) all things end well.
The original film wasn’t a musical but included songs from the 60s and 70s, sung by the nuns. This musical version is made of new songs that mirror the original score beautifully. Written Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, this musical will have you laughing, crying and dancing around the theatre. The cast are superb and relay the characters convincingly.
Other notable performances include ALL the nuns, who were very entertaining and Curtis’s stooges – Joey played by Scott Denton (West Side Story, Brassed Off), Pablo played by Paul Gardner (Guys and Dolls, Sweet Charity) and TJ, played by Harvey 'dance moves' Dalloway (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Anything Goes) who brought a little light relief to proceedings.
This is a great show that you miss at your peril. Musical Director Nick Jeavons ensures that the show has a professional sound and director Sam Houlston makes use of what is a small space. I really loved this production and what’s obvious, is that cast clearly have fun performing for us.
KLOS’s production of Sister Act runs till 14th May 2022 at Kinver High School. Tickets are available from seaty.co.uk/sisteractthemusical.
