Theatre / Reviews
Review: Sister Act, Hippodrome
‘Take me to heaven’ is the soulful cry at the top of the show from Alexandra Burke’s Deloris Van Cartier. Maybe heaven is a bit of stretch, but there is enough in this new production of Sister Act to make even the most pious raise a smile.
The premise is as simple as it is ridiculous – and is cleverly adapted from the hit film. Aspiring lounge singer Deloris witnesses a murder perpetrated by her gang boss and boyfriend Curtis. Fearing for her life, Eddie, a local cop (an excellent Jon Robyns) hides her in a convent – where she sticks out like a sore thumb, but finds solace in teaching the nuns how to sing.
Burke takes the role of Deloris after following the now well-trodden path from X Factor to musicals (she won X Factor with her cover of ‘Hallelujah’, ironically enough). There’s no denying she nails the vocal and is at her best in full song and dance mode.
Elsewhere, the ensemble of nuns breathe much-needed comedy and vibrancy into the story. Sister Mary Lazarus (Rosemary Ashe) gives us most of the laughs as the wayward nun who enjoys rapping (complete with snapback and bling).
As for the music itself, the film’s Motown soundtrack has been replaced with 1970s disco. Composer Alan Menken does an excellent job of faithfully recreating that sound but never quite gives us a standout number. For the man who gave us Under the Sea and Little Shop of Horrors, the tunes here don’t quite match his best work.
Lyricist Glenn Slater fares less well. We may be in on the joke, but gangsters attempting to seduce nuns by singing ‘Hey lady, no more wont’s or cant’s’ comes across as neither funny nor threatening, just in bad taste.
It would be easy to be cynical about this production. The plot has holes big enough to fit Matthew Wright’s elaborate church set inside and it’s hardly theatre to change the world – but that would be to miss the point. Sister Act knows how silly it is and embraces it. Director Craig Revel Horwood (in attendance tonight) makes a shrewd decision to have characters play the music live on stage, allowing them the freedom to be in on the joke.
At the end of the show, the audience is on its feet and the loudest whistling, claps and cheers come from Revel Horwood himself. He might be in heaven, but I’m still back down on earth – but none the worse for trying to get there.
Sister Act continues at the Hippodrome until Saturday, September 24. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/sister-act/bristol-hippodrome
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