Take a trip to musical heaven, as the Grand Opera House opens its doors to the sensational Sister Act – sure to raise the rafters in York this week.
I am certain I don’t need to give Sister Act much of an introduction after the 1992 movie became a staple in most families film collections, and now it’s been transformed into a delightfully dazzling stage show.
Sister Act is at the Grand Opera House York from Monday 6 to Saturday 11 May.
As the lights faded, disco overture softened and glitter-ball ceased, it wasn’t long before we met the undeniable star of the show Deloris Van Cartier (Landi Oshinowo), desperate to make it big on the Philadelphia music scene. However, soon she witnesses the crimes of her dangerous boyfriend Curtis (Ian Gareth-Jones) and her fate swiftly changes, as the police do their best to keep her hidden from harm. Where are Curtis and his mob unlikely to search? None other than Lady of Perpetual Sorrow, a convent, where Deloris must do her best to blend into this new life, hopeful her past doesn’t catch up behind her.
And Oshinowo was certainly unstoppable! She had a fierce energy throughout that did not waver, and made her abundance of complex solos look like easy work. It is remarkable she is able to belt so flawlessly eight shows a week, when most would struggle to take on even one of her magnificent numbers. Accompanying Oshinowo as her fellow leading lady was Coronation Street favourite Sue Cleaver, playing the stern and stoic Mother Superior, with humour as dry as the liquor cabinet at her convent.
A hot topic in theatre at the moment is stunt casting and this show has definitely dabbled in this both previously and even within its current West End run. When the iconic Whoopi Goldberg first originated the role of Deloris, producers can often be found looking for ways to bring familiar faces to the stage and ensure a successful run is ahead of them. I do feel that whilst Cleaver was fun to watch and brought a new flair to the character, her vocal ability felt stretched and some of the powerful moments were lost due to her lack of range and confidence.
For me the strength of this production came from the incredible ensemble numbers, where the sisterhood was undeniable. Whether delivering the powerful ‘Raise Your Voice’ or the softer ‘Bless Our Show’, we were shown that these Nuns really could do anything – they were even good at singing badly… who knew that could be such an applaudable talent!
I cannot go without mentioning Sister Mary Patrick (Isabel Canning) and Sister Mary Robert (Eloise Runnette), who embodied every inch of their characters – your eyes couldn’t help but be glued to their every move throughout the show’s entirety. Runnette not only gave a perfectly polished performance of ‘The Life I Never Led’, but she also managed to have every single audience member entranced as we watched this timid angel gain her own courageous wings. Canning on the other hand was anything but timid as she practically sang her way from start to finish; she could be seen bouncing her way across the stage with limitless energy most would be envious of!
Alongside our fabulous sisters we had our male ensemble featuring Curtis (Ian Gareth-Jones) and his gang (Elliot Gooch, Michalis Antoniou and Callum Martin), who despite being the villains in this story, gave us a delightfully camp performance throughout, with ‘When I Find My Baby’ being a definite highlight.
Then we have our beloved unsteady Eddie (Alfie Parker), a complete parallel to the others, our knight in sparkling armour who would go above and beyond to serve the course of justice and protect his childhood crush Deloris. A man who had the audience firmly in his corner from his first lines to his final glitzy bow, Parker, with his smooth vocals, was a fierce reminder of why we so often find ourselves rooting for the underdog.
If you’ve seen this musical previously, the set will feel familiar. With its stained glass framing and moving set pieces, it swiftly journeys us from club to convent, bar to bedroom and the lighting design by Tim Mitchell helps make these transitions very smooth.
The band, led by musical director Tom Slade who made light work of Alan Menken’s difficult score, provided the tools necessary to ensure the roof was raised… and that it was! Some may be disappointed at the absence of the familiar ‘I Will Follow Him’, but for me this was not missed when we instead got to witness the incomparable ‘Take Me to Heaven’ and ‘Sunday Morning Fever’, accompanied by Alistair David’s clever choreography.
I will be praying that Sister Act visits York again – it’s a show oozing with talent and vibrancy, and had the entire audience tapping their toes from the first few notes of the overture. Sister Act will be spreading the love around the Grand Opera House York until Saturday 11 May. Grab your tickets here to see what friendship truly means!