There’s always an element of risk whenever you take a film so beloved by so many and adapt it for the stage. There’s an even bigger risk when a genre of music becomes so synonymous with a film, as the Motown back catalogue did with Sister Act, that when you don’t have those iconic songs, does the story still pack the same emotional and nostalgic punch? Well, adaption is survival and with a relocation to the 70s Philadelphia, and a musical theatre disco score from Broadway legends Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, Sister Act is new Sister Act on stage, but you’ll be pleased to know that heart that this story is infamous for, very much still remains.

When lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder by her boyfriend Curtis and is forced to hide in a convent for protection until she can testify, she is confronted with having to live a life so far removed from her own, that her and her protector - Mother Superior - are at odds as to how this will indeed keep herself and the rest of the sisters in her protection safe.

Beverley Knight shines as a Deloris for a new generation. In a role made so infamous by Whoopi Goldberg, Knight is able to create a Deloris that is so unique to herself but also a testament to a portrayal that is loved by so many, which is an incredibly hard task to master and she does it with unparalleled ease. Her voice runs through the score like a knife through melting butter, filling the rafters of the Dominion Theatre with warmth and emotional connection. Ruth Jones makes for a lovely Mother Superior in her musical theatre debut, though not a natural singer Jones commits to each moment and arguably as most should, places the connection at the forefront of each vocal moment. Additional book material from Douglas Carter Beane has contextualised Mother Superior as Welsh in honour of Jones’ heritage beautifully, not feeling shoehorned and even providing a warm and comforting nature that feels correct. Strong comedic turns are provided from Lesley Joseph, Lori Haley Fox and Alison Jiear as Sister Mary Lazarus, Mary Martin of Tours and Patrick respectively with the latter having a few gorgeous moments to showcase her powerhouse vocals. As Curtis’ henchman Bradley Judge, Damian Buhagiar and Tom Hopcroft provide a great amount of comic relief but also display their exceptional vocal prowess in the BeeGees inspired ‘lady in the black dress’. Lemar’s hard edged gangster Curtis and Clive Rowe’s heartfelt “Steady Eddie” give contrasting performances as Deloris’ past and future love interests, and Carl Mullanely gives a deliciously camp turn as Monsignor O’Hara as well as his alter boys Jermaine Woods and Castell Parker who sass their way through the opening of the second act like they’re at Paris fashion week. However, it is Lizzie Bea as Sister Mary Robert who packs one of the biggest punches in the show. The heart of the show is how Deloris helps Sister Mary Robert to see what was always there within her but hiding, and Knight and Bea work together beautifully to convey this relationship. Bea’s revelation in ‘The life I never lead’ is as beautiful as it is heart-breaking and she balances it perfectly.

Morgan Large’s set and costume design are versatile bringing a night club and convent to the heart of the Dominion Theatre with beautiful detail, complimented by Tim Mitchell’s kaleidoscopic lighting design. Alistair David’s choreography is pure joy, fitting sequences together wonderfully, ranging from simple and effective to fast and frenetic in the best sense. Bill Buckhurst’s direction is fluid, allowing the characters room to breathe into their own choices, and refreshingly for West End direction doesn’t feel prescribed or antiseptic. The production’s biggest adversary is the space itself, the Dominion is so large that it frequently it feels as if there is too much dead area and at times even a production of this magnitude can feel slightly swallowed, and although the ensemble is a decent size, I feel there would have been something far more Devine about seeing that stage overrun with nuns in exultation.

Deloris, or Sister Mary Clarence as her alias, passes her time in the convent by teaching the nuns how to sing; how to blend, how to listen to one and other, how to move together, support each other and be as one. Towards the end her and Mother Superior muse as to whether that’s human or Devine nature, or both because aren’t they really one and the same? The world is a tumultuous place at the moment, physical and cultural wars rage, so many sections of society are being discriminated against, having their rights stripped away and scapegoated. Sister Act reminds us that if we all stop, listen to each other, lean on each other, we can take that next step up, that next step forward together. Our differences are not what separate us, they’re what unite us, because after all “… life’s only love, spread the love around.”

**** Four Stars

Reviewed by Duncan Burt

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