I couldn't wait to write this review as Sister Act has been and always will be in my top 10 favourite films! But I was shocked to realise that it's now 31 years since Whoopi Goldberg first donned the habit and turned a group of tone deaf nuns into a gospel choir. And suddenly I feel rather old!
The year was 1992! Bill Clinton became president of the USA, Charles & Diana broke hearts in the U.K. As they separated, fire struck Windsor Castle and Euro Disney opened it's doors in Paris. But the most significant event I want to mention was me going to see Sister Act at the Odeon with my Mum. I was only 8 years old and thought I'd hate it! Judging by the trailers, it just looked like a group of nuns running around casinos. But I tagged along, and this was a landmark event for me as it was the first "Mature" movie I'd seen as before this, it was all kids films for me. Quite simply, I loved it! And I watched it countless times on the old VHS back at home!
Flick forward 30 odd years, and I found myself strolling down to the Regent Theatre in Hanley to see Sister Act as a musical. And it was quite fitting that my Mum was there too. I’d seen the last tour with Alexandra Burke as Deloris, and it was brilliant! So I had high expectations for the new tour.
The story follows lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier, played brilliantly by Landi Oshinowo, who sees her mobster boyfriend, Curtis (Ian Gareth-Jones), shoot and kill one of his henchmen. She seeks the help of the Police and is relocated for her protection by Lieutenant Eddie Souther (Alfie Parker) or "Steady Eddie" as he's more affectionately referred to by Deloris.
Set up in the guise of a nun in a run down convent, Deloris takes on the identity of Sister Mary Clarence, and proceeds to upend the quiet lives of the resident sisters. In an effort to prevent her from creating mischief, the Mother Superior, played superbly by TV legend Leslie Jospeph, assigns Deloris to the convent's resident tone deaf choir, an ensemble that she soon transforms into a vibrant and soulful act that gains widespread attention. But little does she realise that her sudden celebrity status jeopardises her hidden identity.
The production is a shining star in a long line of stories where a disguise is used to gain the upper hand. The big bad wolf is usually the first one that we're introduced to at an early age, where we see the wolf disguise himself as Grandma to grab an easy lunch. But it's not always the case that the disguise is used to carry out a dastardly deed. When you think of Robin Williams as "Mrs Doubtfire", and Jack Lemmon & Tony Curtis hiding from the mob in the classic "Some Like It Hot", it's easy to see that putting these big personalities behind a disguise ends up in hilarity and this is why we love this kind of story.
Let's face it, Landi has a huge pair of boots to fill following in the footsteps of the incredible Whoopi Goldberg & Alexandra Burke. But within minutes of being on stage, it was easy to see that she has made the role her own with a very different but equally loveable Deloris.
She's at the top of a her game with silky smooth and powerful vocals, brilliant comedic presence, and a convincing performance in her moments of tenderness.
Leslie is excellent in the role of Mother Superior, again with a big set of boots to fill following on from Maggie Smith's performance in the movie but also Karen Mann’s portrayal in the last tour. With her dry and loveable humour, Leslie keeps the whole production grounded and matches Landi every step of the way. Their chemistry is fantastic which is so important as this is what made the two characters so loveable in the movie. Their love/hate relationship was maintained throughout, and it would be hard to imagine anyone else play the part now.
Lizzie Bea and Isabel Canning filled the roles of Sister Mary Robert and Sister Mary Patrick, and did a fantastic job! The two of them were attached at the hip in the movie, with Mary Patrick running around dragging Mary Robert behind her for the ride like a rag doll. I didn’t see that chemistry as much this time around. This didn’t take away from the performance though. Isabel portrayed the bubbly nun superbly and certainly hit the high notes!
As for Lizzie as Mary Robert... WOW! What a voice!! She was shy and tender as the role required, portraying Mary Robert's naive innocence perfectly, but hitting the confident and punchy powerful notes as the show progressed and the character gained confidence. Definitely one to keep a close eye on as I can see her fronting up many more amazing productions in future.
Bradley Judge, Damian Buhagiar & Callum Martin almost steal the show as Curtis's seedy henchmen with their comedy antics and disco dancing. And Alfie’s performance as Steady Eddie was great too! I wouldn’t say that he and Landi had the best chemistry I’ve ever seen. Deloris & Eddie have always seemed to have hidden feelings for eachother that have to be put aside, whichever story you follow. Whilst this was referenced, I didn’t really feel it. However, his performance was excellent and Alfie has some steady moves!
If these are the stars, the Nuns were certainly a suitable support! All of them are mad as hatters! The choir were so bad at first that they even got an applause for it. It was also nice to get a different look at Sister Mary Lazarus played by Jackie Pulford. We got more of a glimpse into the past of the sour faced choir leader, and we see a totally different side to her than we saw in the movie! It made the character all the more lovable for me.
Tony Award & 8 time Oscar winning Alan Menken's soulful musical score is totally different to the movie which I’ve always found a little disappointing as this was part of what made the movie so iconic. I’d love to hear some of those old Soul numbers performed live for this show! Take your feelings about the movie out of the equation though, and it's an absolutely incredible score! With uplifting numbers Take Me To Heaven, It's Good To Be A Nun and the brilliant finale, Spread The Love Around, it easily offers up the joy and feel good mood that Whoopi and her girls gave us all those years ago! Hats off to all of the musicians involved in the production as it couldn't have been better.
You're bound to make comparisons, but If you can forget the movie for a couple of hours, and look at it with a fresh perspective, you'll be so glad you got tickets! There's a reason why this show has been seen by millions of people worldwide. The pews were packed for this feel good frenzy and it's easy to see why. I needed this in my life! Glory Hallelujah, what a show!!
I sincerely hope that they’ll bring Sister Act 2 to the stage at some point because I'm ready for more and after the success of School of Rock, seeing Deloris face the task of teaching a children’s choir on stage would be magic.
My Verdict: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
See above for a teaser of what you can expect!
Sister Act is playing at the Regent Theatre NOW until and including Saturday 30th September with matinee performances available. Tickets are on sale and are available from the Box Office, by calling 0844 871 7649 or visiting www.atgtickets.com/stoke