Nottingham Theatre Royal – until Saturday 13 May 2023
Reviewed by Louise Ford
3***
It’s fun to be a nun!
Loud, proud and brash Sister Act hits the Nottingham stage as part of its UK tour. Set firmly in colourful 1970s Philadelphia, Sister Act builds on the successful 1992 film of the same name, which was a hit for Whoopie Goldberg. This current production has Sandra Marvin as Deloris Van Cartier, the wannabe star with a powerful pair of lungs and some interesting footwear, on the run from her murderous gangster boyfriend Curtis Jackson (Mark Goldthorp).
The set and costume design are by Morgan Large. The set is a masterpiece the dark and decaying Gothic convent and cathedral bearing down on the stage and the cast . This is in contrast to the costumes which get jazzier as the story unfolds to a climactic finale worthy of any pantomime!
The clash of cultures and personalities between the Mother Superior (Lesley Joseph) and Delores are nicely played out, with Mother Superior reaching for her hip flask when the power of prayer fails to deliver.
There is some interesting casting, as detailed in the substantial program, with a conscious decision to represent the greater theatre community in the leading roles. This really works and enhances the story and the production.
The stand out performance for me was Clive Rowe as Eddie Souther the cop with a soft centre and some surprising quick changes!
There is also a great camped up performance from Monsignor O’Hare (Graham MacDuff) as he gets in the groove with the fund raising to repair the “church roof”. There is also a guest appearance for the finale from an unexpected quarter.
At heart the musical is good humoured but the songs seem a little overlong and aren’t particularly memorable, which is a real shame. Having said that the audience were clearly delighted by the whole show and were on their feet for the final number. So get up and join the crowd on the floor.