Sister Act Review

November 22, 2016 by Claire Cosgrove

Sister Act is one heck of a film. The spine tingling moment where an unassuming choir of nuns break into ‘Hail Holy Queen’, led by the fabulous Whoppi Goldberg, is up there with one of my favourite ever cinematic moments. In fact, I watched it on YouTube four times before heading to the The Cliffs on Monday night. Dedication to the cause, although, turns out, rather misguided.

Craig Revel Horwood returns to his day job to direct and choreograph this stage version. It has CRH stamped all over it. Pink glitter shirts, sassy attitude, grinding hips, drag queens and disco mirror ball, it is camp personified!

Love the film? Leave it at the door. This show features original music by Alan Menken, who has Aladdin, Beauty & the Best and the fabulous Enchanted under his belt. Personally, I felt rather short changed that there was not one of the original musical moments from the film but that is not to say that Alan Menken is an absolute genius. The new score is, to coin a phrase, fab-u-lous.

Alexandra Burke, of X-Factor fame, picks up where Whoppi Goldberg once stood, as Deloris Van Cartier, a disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. With big shoes to fill, Burke is bold and sassy with a powerhouse voice that rumbles around the auditorium. At times, her performance is a tad over played but her comic timing is well polished.

Moved to police protection, she is hidden in the one place she won’t be found… a Convent, of course! Disguised as a nun and under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own. Can she escape the clutches of her murdering ex-boyfriend? If she flicked her hair one more time, I may have bumped her off myself!

With most of the cast clutching some sort of instrument, they are a multi-talented bunch. The nuns on mass (pardon the pun) are really brilliant. For me, Sister Mary Robert, played by Sarah Goggin and Sister Mary Patrick, played by Susannah Van Den Berg, really stole the show for me. Their subtle and vibrant performances really shone through.

To take the show on its own merits, it is a darn good night out. The crowd were quickly on their feet at the end to give the cast a standing ovation. Loud and proud, it was a show full of bounce and energy.

My only warning, if you loved the film, this is not an exact replica. The story runs a different path and if you’re hoping to hear “I Will Follow Him” in rousing chorus, you’ll be disappointed. As a standalone show – it’s all good stuff. Get yourself down there.