Sister Act
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
21st November to 26th November 2016
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
21st November to 26th November 2016
"Sister Act could really become a habit"
says Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
says Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
On a cold, wet night what can be better than a feel-good factor musical, and Sister Act is certainly that. The Cliffs Pavilion was filled with a capacity audience for the first night of this big, brash musical that belted out songs from start to finish. It opened looking like something out of Phantom of the Opera with a shrouded figure bashing away at the organ. However, when the figure turned round it wasn’t the phantom, it was a nun.
The staging had an atmospheric, gothic feel with a two-tier layout with arches and an upper level. The set then doubled up as a jazzy nightclub, prison cells, a street of derelicts and all done with the minimum of effort, and only a few turns and twists of the set by the performers.
This musical was first performed in the UK at the Palladium in 2009 but closed in 2010 to make way for an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. However, this production has been completely revamped by director and choreographer, Craig Revel Horwood, the well-known acerbic judge from Strictly Come Dancing. Apparently, he was offered the job of directing it the first time round, but had to turn it down due to commitments. This time he has seized it with both hands.
The staging had an atmospheric, gothic feel with a two-tier layout with arches and an upper level. The set then doubled up as a jazzy nightclub, prison cells, a street of derelicts and all done with the minimum of effort, and only a few turns and twists of the set by the performers.
This musical was first performed in the UK at the Palladium in 2009 but closed in 2010 to make way for an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. However, this production has been completely revamped by director and choreographer, Craig Revel Horwood, the well-known acerbic judge from Strictly Come Dancing. Apparently, he was offered the job of directing it the first time round, but had to turn it down due to commitments. This time he has seized it with both hands.
Craig Revel Horwood
The story of the musical is the familiar one from the 1992 film of the same name starring Whoopi Goldberg. Disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder committed by her married gangster boyfriend, Curtis (Aaron Lee Lambert) in an afro wig. Although, very good in the routines, Curtis was never believable as a murderous gangster, even when waving a gun around. Deloris then gets police protection by going undercover in a convent to keep her safe until she can be a witness for the prosecution at his trial. Meanwhile, the boyfriend and his gang are on her trail. After that, any sense of reality goes out of the window.
The prologue opens with Deloris (Alexandra Burke) performing with two back- up singers, auditioning for a job in a nightclub as part of the 70s disco scene. When her gangster boyfriend turns her down, there is a big number Fabulous Baby to indicate how she sees herself. However, the musical really comes into its own when it transfers to the convent where there are some high-octane, energetic tone-deaf nuns.
Sister Act is played with big broad-brush comedic strokes. The whole production has a surreal feel. There are nuns playing saxophones and trumpets, actors doubling up as gangsters, nuns, camp disco dancers and even Curtis, turned up in one scene as a drag Tina Turner look alike. I was also surprised to notice him up on the balcony dressed as a nun playing the bongos. When there was any action on the main stage the upper level had nuns singing their hymns or performers playing instruments. Many of the cast would disappear and reappear as someone else or just be in the background playing. There was also a feeling that the lunatics had taken over the asylum. In the beginning, the nuns of various ages were singing with a high-pitched screech, loudly out of tune until taken in hand by Deloris, and leaping about the stage in a rather demented fashion. The gangsters too looked as though they weren’t quite the full ticket. The scene with the homeless, where the cop Sweaty Eddie (Jon Robyns) sang, I Could Be That Guy, accompanied by drunks toting clarinets and vomiting into the gutter, looked like something from the walking dead. There is even a slow motion fight scene with nuns and gangsters all beating each other up, which the audience really enjoyed.
The prologue opens with Deloris (Alexandra Burke) performing with two back- up singers, auditioning for a job in a nightclub as part of the 70s disco scene. When her gangster boyfriend turns her down, there is a big number Fabulous Baby to indicate how she sees herself. However, the musical really comes into its own when it transfers to the convent where there are some high-octane, energetic tone-deaf nuns.
Sister Act is played with big broad-brush comedic strokes. The whole production has a surreal feel. There are nuns playing saxophones and trumpets, actors doubling up as gangsters, nuns, camp disco dancers and even Curtis, turned up in one scene as a drag Tina Turner look alike. I was also surprised to notice him up on the balcony dressed as a nun playing the bongos. When there was any action on the main stage the upper level had nuns singing their hymns or performers playing instruments. Many of the cast would disappear and reappear as someone else or just be in the background playing. There was also a feeling that the lunatics had taken over the asylum. In the beginning, the nuns of various ages were singing with a high-pitched screech, loudly out of tune until taken in hand by Deloris, and leaping about the stage in a rather demented fashion. The gangsters too looked as though they weren’t quite the full ticket. The scene with the homeless, where the cop Sweaty Eddie (Jon Robyns) sang, I Could Be That Guy, accompanied by drunks toting clarinets and vomiting into the gutter, looked like something from the walking dead. There is even a slow motion fight scene with nuns and gangsters all beating each other up, which the audience really enjoyed.
The use of instruments played live by the actors on stage was something that Craig Revel Horwood used to good effect in his recent production of Chess. He is on record as saying that he uses that device as it makes a touring production have the sound of a full 25-piece orchestra, which would not normally be possible with the standard 7-piece accompaniment. However, it must have been difficult to find actors who could play instruments, dance, sing, and have the comedic ability to play over the top silly characters, but Craig has certainly found them.
Alexandra Burke was a surprise to me. I only knew her from X Factor, singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Although, she has since appeared on the West End stage in the much-acclaimed production of The Bodyguard. I felt that she didn’t have quite the quirky character that Whoopi Goldberg had, but she came over as the black, loud, brash female type with big hair, that is familiar from US TV reality shows. She sashayed across the stage, played up the comedy, was big, bold and sassy and had a powerful voice that was even more effective in the quieter numbers. She looked beautiful in all the glamorous, sparkly outfits, and even looked good when dressed from head to foot in black as the nun in hiding. Burke’s dark and resonant vocals did justice to all the songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. They were all written for the musical, none of the familiar pops songs from the movies were used. Some people expressed disappointment at that, as they were expecting, I will follow him, to turn up.
Alexandra Burke was a surprise to me. I only knew her from X Factor, singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Although, she has since appeared on the West End stage in the much-acclaimed production of The Bodyguard. I felt that she didn’t have quite the quirky character that Whoopi Goldberg had, but she came over as the black, loud, brash female type with big hair, that is familiar from US TV reality shows. She sashayed across the stage, played up the comedy, was big, bold and sassy and had a powerful voice that was even more effective in the quieter numbers. She looked beautiful in all the glamorous, sparkly outfits, and even looked good when dressed from head to foot in black as the nun in hiding. Burke’s dark and resonant vocals did justice to all the songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. They were all written for the musical, none of the familiar pops songs from the movies were used. Some people expressed disappointment at that, as they were expecting, I will follow him, to turn up.
The Mother Superior (Karen Mann) played it straight, but even she had a nice comedy number. She staggered around the stage, tipsy from the communion wine whilst singing. There were also some other nice touches as where the Priest (Tim Maxwell Clarke), started getting on down with the funky choir music and involved the audience as though they were the church congregation.
I particularly liked Jon Robyns as the young police officer, as he was the most believable character in the show. He underplayed at the start, and then really came into his own later when he turned into a John Travolta type. He did an excellent disco number together with white suit and all the moves surrounded by camp ex gangsters in Lurex shirts and flares. His little scene with Deloris, where you realised he loved her was very tender, and genuine in a musical which was anything but.
This is one of the funniest and funkiest musicals around. The audience were up on their feet for the Sister Act reprise and the show ends with all the nuns and eventually the entire cast performing, Spread the Love Around. The show is a hugely enjoyable romp and continues at the Cliffs Pavilion until Saturday 26th November.
For tickets call 01702 351135 or go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk
I particularly liked Jon Robyns as the young police officer, as he was the most believable character in the show. He underplayed at the start, and then really came into his own later when he turned into a John Travolta type. He did an excellent disco number together with white suit and all the moves surrounded by camp ex gangsters in Lurex shirts and flares. His little scene with Deloris, where you realised he loved her was very tender, and genuine in a musical which was anything but.
This is one of the funniest and funkiest musicals around. The audience were up on their feet for the Sister Act reprise and the show ends with all the nuns and eventually the entire cast performing, Spread the Love Around. The show is a hugely enjoyable romp and continues at the Cliffs Pavilion until Saturday 26th November.
For tickets call 01702 351135 or go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Ask the Audience
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Rosie from Westcliff
I enjoyed Sister Act as it had a feel-good factor. The actors all had such good voices, particularly Alexandra Burke. I liked the police officer Eddie and the gangster boyfriend Curtis. My one complaint is that with the American accents it was difficult to understand the lyrics. I liked the way the actors came to the front of the stage and faced the audience. |
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Natalie from Leigh on Sea
I thought it was very good, but I was disappointed that they didn’t do the numbers from the film. I kept waiting for them. They seemed to be hinted at in the nun’s choral numbers. I thought that Alexandra Burke had an amazing voice, but her acting of the brash Deloris was too clichéd and stagey. It improved later as the show went on. I regularly come to the Cliffs and I’m coming to Dirty Dancing in January. |
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Then tour continues until 27th August 2017 as follows:-
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