Review: SISTER ACT, Birmingham Hippodrome - UK tour
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
Before this production of Sister Act even begins, it’s clear from the neon-lit, glitter-doused title emblazoned on the stage curtain that it’s going to be a fun ride. Fresh from a summer run at London’s Eventim Apollo, Bill Buckhurst’s revival is a high-energy, laugh-a-minute show with a stellar cast and an impressive amount of sequins.
If you’ve been living in a nunnery and aren’t aware of the plot of the 1992 movie that the show is based on, it goes like this: aspiring singer Deloris Van Cartier witnesses her gangster boyfriend killing one of his cronies, and is forced to go into hiding in a convent. A fish out of water at first, she soon finds a way to use her talents to reinvigorate the tuneless choir, and in the process helps the church to bring in some much needed funds.
The stage show transplants the story from 1990s San Francisco to 1970s Philadelphia, which provides the opportunity for a score that’s packed with disco, funk and soul. With music by the always-great Alan Menken and fun, snappy lyrics by Glenn Slater, there’s not a weak tune in the bunch. Big disco numbers like ‘Take Me To Heaven’ and ‘Sunday Morning Fever’ sound like they could be from Donna Summer’s back catalogue, and it’s surely only theatre etiquette that keeps the audience from jumping up to dance. ‘Fabulous, Baby!’ and ‘Raise Your Voice’ are fantastic anthems of self-love and positivity, and the BeeGees-inspired number ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’, improbably performed by the trio of gangster goons, gets plenty of laughs.
Sandra Marvin (taking over from Beverley Knight after the Eventim Apollo run) lends her impressive vocals to the role of Dolores. She’s bold and brassy, with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy. Lesley Joseph brings class and great comic timing to the role of the disapproving Mother Superior, and Clive Rowe is sweet and likeable as “Steady” Eddie, the cop with a crush on Deloris. It’s Lizzie Bea’s Sister Mary Robert that steals the show, though. Her journey from a nun who is too shy to sing in anything more than a whisper, to a woman who is prepared to let the world hear her voice is wonderful to watch, and her nuanced rendition of ‘The Life I Never Led’ is beautiful.
The production is surprisingly colourful considering the storyline dictates that most of the characters dress in black and white. Tim Mitchell’s rainbow lighting is a joy, and Morgan Large’s costumes are full of surprises, including a glorious quick-change and an array of glitzy multicoloured habits.
The show tends more toward broad comedy than the movie, which means there are plenty of great one-liners, as well as some hilarious choreography when the previously-prim choir of nuns start to embrace modern movement. A few of the emotional and character beats get lost among the comedy, but there are still some genuinely touching moments, particularly towards the end, when the power of sisterhood really shines.
It’s impossible not to smile throughout this show and by the end you’ll likely be inspired to raise your own voice. Sister Act is lighthearted, joyful and sometimes even fabulous, baby.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Laura Lott
Sister Act plays at Birmingham Hippodrome until 15 October, with tickets for select touring venues available here.