Theatre Royal, Nottingham – until 21st September 2024.
Reviewed by Chris Jarvis
4****
What a brilliant production – the music and singing was upbeat, the staging simple yet stunning and the costumes remarkably sparkly for a musical set in a convent!
In 2020 I had tickets when this production was due to launch in UK at London Eventim Apollo starring Whoopi Goldberg, who played the part of Deloris Van Cartier in the 1992 film of the same name. Sadly, Covid intervened and 2 years later she wasn’t available, though I was delighted to see Deloris played by the amazing Beverley Knight.
Landi Oshinowo had a hard act to follow but she didn’t disappoint. Her voice and enthusiasm were sensational.
Set in Philadelphia in 1977, Deloris is a lounge singer auditioning in her married gangster boyfriends club but he refuses to let her perform. Hungry for fame and dreaming of wearing a white sequined dress and white fur stole, she decides to dump Curtis Jackson played by Ian Gareth-Jones. Deloris unwittingly witnesses Curtis shoot one of his gang members, suspecting he’s a police informant. Deloris seeks protection from the police and her old school friend, Officer Eddie Souther (Alfie Parker) takes her to a local convent and asks Mother Superior (Wendi Peters) to hide her within the convent until she can give evidence at the trial.
Deloris swaps her sparkly outfit for a nun’s habit and is introduced to the other nuns as Sister Mary Clarence. To minimise disruption to the quiet, sedate life of the convent, she is sent to practice with the very tuneless choir where she brings out the true characters and voices of the nuns with joyous singing, shaking of booty and strutting their stuff.
Much to the despair of Mother Superior the choir performs with much media interest and Curtis recognises Deloris, so his mob – dressed as nuns – try to finish her off before the trial. They clearly hadn’t expected the strong ‘sisterhood’ that had developed so there was a crazy, slapstick act where nuns took prisoners!
One of the funniest acts was when Eddie performed “I Could Be That Guy” and we learned that he had always fancied Deloris at school. He switched seamlessly from his police uniform to a spangly, sparkly, tasseled outfit and back again while leaping around the stage alongside 4 scantily clad police officers in tight trousers wearing green, sparkly motorbike helmets.
Funny in a different poignant way was the act where Mother Superior sings “Haven’t Got a Prayer” in her nightwear asking God for guidance on dealing with Deloris and telling of “disco piped into the Cloister” and ”her celibate nuns shaking their bums”
All the songs and vocals were incredible, though due to copyright issues, not the same as those in the film. They were memorable, soulful, funny and joyful and “The Life I Never Led” sung beautifully by Eloise Runnette playing novitiate Sister Mary Roberts, was very special. Her portrayal of the character was a pleasure to watch.
Two other nuns stood out for me. Sister Mary Patrick (Isabel Cannin) whose expressions were infectious and brought humour and delight to the audience while Sister Mary Lazarus’ (Julie Stark) pan expression and low tone were just as funny.
As one might expect in a convent most of the characters were female and all played strong parts. Of the few male characters Eddie Souther stood out and Monsignor O’Hara played by Phillip Arran, having initially come across as serious, fell under the spell of Deloris developing into a fun-loving character wearing Elton John style star shaped specs.
This was a brilliant comedy, but the influence of Doloris on the life of the nuns and the love and sisterhood she gained from them was profound as Sister Mary Roberts questioned her calling to be a nun and Deloris her need for fame.
The magnificent finale with brightly coloured sparkly costumes all round, and poignantly Deloris in her white sequined dress and white fur stole, left you feeling uplifted and buoyant. Audience appreciation was obvious, and a standing ovation finished the night.