Sister Act is back for another run at London Palladium after a year-long search for the perfect lead.
After a word of warning about mobile phones from producer Whoopie Goldberg, a sombre nun appears in a pool of light. She seeks salvation for the church and is blessed with the saving grace that is self-proclaimed, fabulous club singer Deloris van Cartier.
Fabulous, she is! Usually played by Patina Miller, Deloris (Debbie Kuruup for tonight) begins the show with the upbeat Take Me To Heaven featuring a couple of back-up singers and an impressive live orchestra beneath the stage. Go see this and Take Me To Heaven will be in your head for days.
The first half is spent introducing the pretty annoying Deloris and her booty. There's also her gangster pimp boyfriend Shank and his cronies. Definitely not to be taken seriously at all, this is light-hearted musical fun. There are wise-cracking baddies, kind-hearted goodies, an underdog and a strict but wise matriarch whose heart is ultimately melted by the wayward heroine.
It's a modern fairytale of sorts: ruby slippers become killer purple boots, the underdog gets the girl and the rebellious protagonist sees the light. It's saccharine sweet and lot of people will cringe at the thought of divine intervention in the form of bunch of nuns rocking out. Nonetheless, it's their chorus lines that get the most applause.
The singing is undeniably brilliant and Katie Rowley Jones shines as the shy but melodic Sister Mary Roberts. The show has also been expertly cast: Sheila Hancock as Mother Superior, the square with a rebellious streak, lights up the stage as she gives in to Deloris' influence. Of the supporting cast, the crowd favourite is Julia Sutton as Sister Mary-Lazarus, the oldest, toughest nun on the block. Her comic timing and to-hell-with-it attitude compliment the physical humour of Shank's hitmen and the delightfully over-enthusiastic Sister Mary Patrick (Claire Greenway).
The score by Disney's musical wizard Alan Menken ('Colours of the Wind', 'A Whole New World') is heavily reminiscent of his past work, and to great effect. The costumes and sets brilliantly contrast Deloris's world of glitz, gold and disco balls with the nunnery's looming cold dark walls. The Disney feel is further inspired by the impressive rotating set which makes for more drama, seamless set changes, and adroitly utilises the height of the theatre.
A laugh a minute sure, but in the most obvious way. Sometimes almost clever – for those that like the double entendre ('Sing from...from whatever nun’s have instead of diaphragms!') – but otherwise not really exhilarating, Sister Act is catchy and perfectly fun. Go for the music, take pre-teens: it’s good family theatre, but, oddly, it's the 50+ men that seem to find it funniest.
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