The huge Dominion Theatre has welcomed the nuns of Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow inside as Sister Act (“a divine musical comedy”) opens with a flourish of sequins and glitter.
Based on the 1992 film with Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act is a comedic caper with Motown-inspired songs composed by Alan Menken, as a brash singer heads into witness protection in a convent.
Leading the cast is the sheer powerhouse that is Beverley Knight as Deloris/Sister Mary Clarence. She’s a fizzing beacon of light in the convent even when she’s dressed as a nun, and her vocals could blow the roof off.
Making her West End debut, Ruth Jones is the Mother Superior and utilises her comedic skill to explain why she has a Welsh accent and deal with a rogue audience wolf-whistle.
Her looks of disapproval to both Doloris and to God above, who has turned the order upside down, and her interactions with the nuns at the dinner table, are priceless.
The sets and costumes (by Morgan Large) hit the 70s disco/soul vibe – we are in Philadelphia in 1977 – with bright colours, sparkles, glitterballs, and a rainbow vibe by the finish. Alistair David’s choreography creatively captures the spirit of the time.
Clive Rowe is a bit underused, but his vocals are as mighty as Knight’s (“I Could Be That Guy”), and they have an easy chemistry as their scenes evolve. His double costume change in quick time drew plenty of “oohs” from an appreciative audience.
TV veteran Lesley Joseph is hilarious and game for a dance as Sister Mary Lazarus, while Lizzie Bea’s young postulant Mary Robert has a lovely solo song (“The Life I Never Led”) and Alison Jiear is fun as the cheery Sister Mary Patrick.
There’s a quartet of bad guys on Doloris’s trail, headed up by Lemar’s Curtis, who offer Bee Geeesque falsetto and a slapstick brawl, while Carl Mullaney’s Monsignor heads more and more into considered camp as the show progresses.
Neil Macdonald conducts the orchestra through the loud and lively score, while Tim Mitchell’s lighting design makes the most of the Dominion’s church-like architecture.
Sister Act has no songs from the film, but Glenn Slater’s lyrics fit well with Menken’s melodies, and Cheri & Bill Steinkellner have developed a book which pays tribute to the film source while adding new twists.
Director Bill Buckhurst and his team have created a night out, which is light, vibrant, and funny, while embracing the diversity of race and sexual identity and the power of friendship.
Sister Act continues at the Dominion Theatre. In June, there are some cast changes, including Alexandra Burke replacing Beverley Knight as Doloris. Tickets here and on other sites.
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Image credit: Johan Persson