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The sound of . . . well not really music as the nuns of The Little Sisters of Our Mother of Perpetual Faith show more than perpetual faith and no small degree of optimism in their singing abilities. Sister Act
The New Alexandra Theatre
**** THE sisters have learned some new habits
in this sparkling makeover by Craig Revel Horwood, ten years on from the
first time Deloris Van Cartier first swept on to the stage. Set in Philadelphia in 1979, the year of Pope
John Paul II’s visit to the city, Revel Horwood has given a classy new
look to the popular musical helped by a fabulous asymmetrical set by
Matthew Wright and clever lighting from Richard G Jones. And, as anyone who saw
the excellent tour of Chess
will know, a hallmark of a Revel Horwood production is no one is allowed
on stage without an instrument, actors have to double up as the
orchestra – I suspect you are not even allowed to sit on the front row
without proof of musical proficiency to professional standards. Thus we have a group of nuns with trumpets,
accordion, violin, flute, clarinet, banjo and glockenspiel. Even
postulant Sister Mary Robert, shy, timid with a shell a foot thick,
can’t escape – being put on triangle duty. A lovely performance by
Sarah Goggin by the way, who
has a beautiful voice, particularly on
The life I never led. When it comes to
voices though there is X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke as the fast
talking She was matched in that though by the nuns who
showed some fine timing, particularly Rosemary Ashe as Sister Mary
Lazarus and Susannah Van Den Berg as Sister Mary Patrick. A mention too
for Karen Mann as the Mother Superior with some lovely deadpan lines.
We first meet the nuns as they enter as a choir
with a sound that should be classed as a weapon of mass destruction.
Imagine nine cats simultaneously having their tails trapped in a door,
all in a different key – nine-part disharmony. It is a noise that could
break an anvil and one, surprisingly, that is incredibly difficult to
sing unless you have a group of people who are totally tone deaf which
this group patently aren’t. It didn’t sound it, but it took real skill. The musical moves the action of the 1992 film on
which it is based from Reno and Los Angeles to Philly but the basic
story remains. Deloris sees boyfriend Curtis, the psycho baddy, played
with a happy murderous air by Aaron Lee Lambert, kill one of his gang
and tells the police, so she has to go into hiding with Curtis putting a
price on her head. And where better to hide a fast talking, hip
swinging, drinking, smoking wanna-be star nightclub singer where
knocking on Heaven’s door would be a pointless exercise than in a
convent in a run-down church - The Holy Order of The Little Sisters of
Our Mother of Perpetual Faith. All of which leads to clashes with both Mother
Superior and the rigid lifestyle – until Deloris transformed the
excruciatingly bad choir into a hit act, pulling in the crowds and
raising the cash to not only save but fix the church. But it all came at
a price - mass publicity spotted by Curtis – cue dramatic finale. The police are
represented by Eddie, Sweaty Eddie, who had a crush of Deloris from High
School, in a lovely performance from Jon Robyns, who has no gun but
instead walks around with a guitar. Eddie has hopes of one day being the
main man, the John Travolta ch And backing Deloris in the convent, or at least
her money making abilities, is the swinging, sax playing Monsignor
O’Hara played, in both senses, by Tim Maxwell-Clarke.
The set provides church cloisters, night club and
nave in an offset walled corner with an arched gallery, while the
lighting utilises three mirror balls, church windows and uplit columns
all setting scenes and atmospheres in a technically complex production. And as you would expect Revel Horwood’s
choreography is slick and easy on the eye which sums up his whole
production. It is slick, well paced, with well-defined contrasting moods
and is very easy on the eye. The music from the 14-strong on stage
orchestra is augmented by a small four piece band offstage under musical
director Greg Arrowsmith, and they keep things moving along at a lively
pace. All the big numbers,
such as Take Me To Heaven, Sister Act
and Spread the Love Around
are big in what is an entertaining and fresh new look for an old friend.
To 17-09-16 Roger Clarke 12-09-16
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Deloris who can really belt out a tune and who showed a nice
sense of comedy.
aracter, with a nice