Hallelujah, what an absolute hit! This musical will get you up out of your seat and dancing along the whole way through. The stage was vibrant, the dancing was spot on, the cast were so talented and the songs were all so sing-along worthy!
Sister Act the musical has none of the original songs from the 1992 movie (I didn’t realise this, but people told me during the interval). However, the songs that they performed are sure to become musical CLASSICS. They were catchy and well structured, and the choreography and costumes during the final number were ICONIC!
If you don’t know the premise of the movie, it follows the story of Deloris, a nightclub singer who has to go under witness protection in a convent. And she is EVERYTHING a nun is not. Feisty, loud, sexually free… safe to say she does not fit in. But what she lacks in tact, she makes up for in talent, which she soon proves when she takes over as the choir instructor.
I would love to be able to call out every single cast member individually and point out how fantastic their performances were but I will settle for the highlights. Deloris (Landi Oshinowo) was played powerfully and she commanded the stage. Sister Mary Patrick and Sister Mary Lazarus were a barrel of laughs – as were all the other sisters! All of them had their quirks and not a single character was an ‘extra’ – they were all incredibly well rounded and performed excellently. The bandits (Damian Buhagiar, Callum Martin, Bradley Judge) had their own number which had everyone laughing and the cat and mouse chase scene afterwards was hilariously choreographed.
Musically, the most impressive moments for me were the costume change number from Eddie (Alfie Parker) which blew the audience away and got a standing ovation. The other standing ovation came when Sister Mary Robert (Lizzie Bea) blew the bloody doors off with her outstanding performance. She has got some PIPES. I really loved her character too – as a plus size gal I can say, every time I see someone with a similar body type come out of their shell and absolutely KILL it, it just makes me feel so empowered. As empowerment goes, this musical was inclusive, progressive and called people out on their prejudices, which I appreciate!
Although the story lightheartedly jests at the stuck-up nature of nuns and Catholicism it does so with good nature and fantastic jokes – some of which are a nice nod towards those who grew up with a religious background. It is bold without being unkind, it makes fun without being mean, and it’s honestly just a must-watch for anyone who wants to witness a spectacularly camp masterpiece of theatre!
In three words, it was fun, heartwarming, and uplifting. With a light and easy plot, good vibes, and themes of acceptance and sisterhood, this is a musical to take the whole family to. If and when you do decide to go, there’s absolutely no way that you’ll leave the theatre without a big smile and a spring in your step.
