Sister Act Archives - North West End UK

19Mar

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Palace Theatre

Arriving at the bustling theatre, where red carpet welcomed many an actor from the phenomenon that was Coronation Street, the evening started with fans in awe, the atmosphere electric and everyone ‘giddy’ with excitement for the show ahead. The Coronation Street actors had come along in their numbers to support their colleague the nominated favourite female soup star Sue Cleaver who for this epic show of female comradeship was playing the Mother Superior. Many people may know the film of Whoopi Goldberg played the husky blues singer Deloris Van Cartier desperate to make it big but in falling for a married mobster ends up, after watching this crook Curtis murder a gang member, is on the run for her own life. For this show, the threatened disco diva is played amazingly by Brita...

21Nov

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Sister Act – Bradford Alhambra

Big Hair. Big tunes. Big Heart. That’s Sister Act in a nutshell as the stage show based on the smash hit Whoppi Goldberg movie where a nightclub singer goes on the run and hides in a nunnery gets back on the road. The sister in question is wannabe star Deloris Van Cartier who witnesses her gangster lover commit a murder in 1970s Philadelphia and goes on the lam. She finds sanctuary in a local convent attached to a dilapidated church under the watchful eye of a Mother Superior who is British for some reason. Culture clash is one of the classic tropes of musical theatre as earthy Deloris finds her own calling training the worst choir on the planet to get hip with the Lord’s word. Shock, horror, Mother Superior and her sisterhood of nuns learn something from the worldliness the flam...

Sister Act – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

5Oct

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Sister Act – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Born from the Whoopie Goldberg film of the same name, this musical is a ballsy, rollicking joyride from start to finish. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, Sister Act tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier (Landi Oshinowo), a nightclub singer with dreams of fame, fortune and a white fox fur, who goes into hiding after witnessing a gangster killing in Philadelphia. She enlists the help of her old school friend Steady Eddie Souther (Alfie Parker), a Philly cop, who arranges for her to lie low in a local convent until the trial is over. World weary Mother Superior (Lesley Joseph) is less than happy about this arrangement but puts Deloris in charge of the choir, which certainly needs some knocking into shape. ...

26Sep

By Leanne RushtonNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Regent Theatre, Stoke

Sister Act the musical tells the much-loved story of the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg film of the same name. Many people young and old (including myself) adore this full of fun film. This was apparent as soon as you entered the auditorium with some audience members choosing to don their habits and wimples to join in the fun! The stage show is just as fun, just as bright and just as funny as the film it oozes joy from the get-go and continues building this throughout. On arriving at the theatre, the 70s era was alive with disco balls, amazing music and bright coloured lights. You feel as though you’ve stepped into a Time Machine as soon as you enter the auditorium. The music in the show is one of the catchiest theatrical scores around, I feel, from ‘Fabulous Baby’ to ‘Raise Your Voice.’ I...

20Sep

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Sister Act – Hull New Theatre

I was affected by my own Sister Act on Monday evening, when the musical of the same name came to the Hull New Theatre stage. My long-time theatre buddy, my sister Chrissy, deserted me to have fun in the sun abroad, leaving her sisterly gap to be filled by my good pal, Barbs. The story starts in 1977 Philadelphia, US, where wannabe singer Deloris Van Cartier (Landi Oshinowo), witnesses her married lover, the thuggish Curtis Jackson (Ian Gareth-Jones), commit murder. Deloris, realising she has been seen by Curtis, heads for the police station and into the protective custody of my fave character on the night, “Steady” Eddie Souther (Alfie Parker). Later on, Eddie becomes the hero of the hour, bless him. Meanwhile, Deloris is packed off to a nunnery to keep her safe from Curtis...

6Apr

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Sister Act – Sheffield Lyceum

'Sister Act – A Divine Musical Comedy' based on the 1992 smash hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith featuring original music by Alan Menken. Produced by Jamie Wilson, with the book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner and Lyrics by Glenn Slater the dazzling dance routines and music inspired by Motown, soul and disco is finally brought to the stage at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre after two years delay due to the pandemic. For those of you who haven’t seen the film - 'Sister Act' is the story of a nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier who witnesses a murder at the hands of her married lover and is taken under protective custody to hide in a convent. Here she learns life lessons and helps her 'Sister's' to find their voice and save their convent whilst Deloris herself finds friend...

12Oct

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Pendle Hippodrome

North West End UK reviews both professional and amateur shows, but when reviewing Basics Junior Theatre School production’s, it is hard to distinguish which one it is as the talent and delivery is that of a professional performance year after year. Sally Murtaugh and her late husband Dennis founded Basics 35 years ago and the theatre group has delivered an annual performance since 1987 to present day, this is the first time Basics have produced Sister Act. Andy Cooke has been the principle at Basics for ten years and I have had the honour of reviewing several of his shows, one of the most striking themes throughout the years of watching the performances is the sense of pride and belonging to a family which ripples from the students to each and every member of the production team. An...

5Oct

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Sister Act – Birmingham Hippodrome

Immaculate! If you see only one Holy Catholic mass this season, make sure it is “Sister Act - A Divine Musical Comedy” at the Birmingham Hippodrome! It’s a joyous, elegant, comic romp riven through with the kind evangelical zeal usually only witnessed at the most passionate of churches. In the beginning was the film and the film, according to most critics, was good, and Whoopi Goldberg was, according to those same critics, “heavenly”. That was 1992 and now, thirty years later, the story is reborn and praise the lord it’s a hit! The Good Book by Cheri Steinkeller and Bill Steinkeller wipes out memories of the film whilst still retaining its joyful, liberating tone. Mix in Alan Mencken’s music and Glenn Slater’s lyrics and you have nothing short of a miracle of musical theatre! Oka...

Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy – Eventim Apollo

28Jul

By Clare ChandlerNo Comments

London

Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy – Eventim Apollo

This latest revival of Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner’s divine comedy has been a long time coming. Initially conceived as an opportunity to return Whoopi Goldberg to the role she created in the hit nineties film, the planned second coming fell foul of the pandemic. So, two years after its planned debut Beverley Knight is rocking the habit, and the Eventim Apollo, in Bill Buckhurst’s revised production. The production is not short of spectacle with Knight and the singing nuns bringing enough glitz to hold their own amongst the long list of performers who have graced the Eventim Apollo stage over the years. The musical is fairly faithful to the film’s plot - having witnessed a murder Deloris Van Cartier is forced to hide out in a convent helping her ‘...

5Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Palace Theatre, Manchester

30 years ago, Whoopi Goldberg played potentially her most iconic role of Deloris Van Cartier in the blockbuster classic; Sister Act. The movie has since been transferred to the stage as a musical. Despite being postponed two years due to the pandemic, it was definitely worth the wait and is of course, ‘Fabulous Baby’! In a cast that boasts many well-known faces including Jennifer Saunders, Keala Settle and Lesley Joseph, in comparison it is the relatively unknown ‘Sandra Marvin’ who plays the leading role. She certainly brought the sass needed to play the iconic role of Deloris. However, if I am being constructive, she does have a great voice, but it’s not that wow start quality that I would have expected from the leading lady. Saunders was hilarious in the role of Mother Superior. ...