The following review is based on the performance of Sister Act at The Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock, on Friday 13 May, 2022.
Full of belly-laughs, poignant moments and show-stopping numbers, Sister Act, performed by the Aldridge Musical Comedy Society (AMCS) at the Prince of Wales Theatre, was a feel-good treat that thoroughly deserved the standing ovation it received from the sell-out audience on Friday night.
What Is Sister Act About?
Based on the popular 1992 movie, Sister Act is a musical comedy that follows nightclub performer Deloris Van Cartier as she seeks to hit the big time. After being told she isn’t good enough after a performance at her gangster boyfriend’s nightclub, she splits up with him and becomes witness to a murder.
With the gangsters hot on her tail, Deloris is soon on the run and takes refuge at a convent where she struggles to adapt to the holy life. However, both Deloris and the nuns learn something from each other and she discovers that sisterhood isn’t so bad at all as she helps improve the nuns’ singing, who can barely hold a note together when she first arrives.
Unlike previous shows produced by the society, like Thoroughly Modern Millie, Me & My Girl and West Side Story, Sister Act is a non-stop production that barely lets the cast take a breather with rapid costume changes, intricate vocal harmonies and one song arriving quickly after another.
A Diva Performance
With an effervescent, energetic performance and strong vocals across a variety of big numbers, no-one worked harder than Chloe Robinson playing the lead role of Deloris Van Cartier.
Capturing the humour of the disco diva perfectly and shining on stage with big hitters such as ‘Raise Your Voice’ and ‘Take Me to Heaven’, Deloris was backed up immaculately by the sweet harmonies of the captivating cast of nuns, who consistently delivered music to our ears with a dynamic performance.
When singing as a group, with the likes of ‘Fabulous, Baby!’ and ‘Sunday Morning Fever’, the atmosphere in the theatre was taken to another level with sparkling harmonies that were far removed from the outrageous (and very funny) out-of-tune harmonies appearing near the beginning of Act 1 prior to the nuns learning to sing by Deloris.
Highlights Of Sister Act
In a show packed full of highlights, Mother Superior, played by Helen Bodley, commanded the stage with a performance befitting of any professional production. Indeed, it’s amazing to think that the cast are amateurs as numerous performances wouldn’t have looked out of place in the West End.
This included the loveable Sister Mary Robert played by Beth Flint, who transformed superbly from a shy, softly spoken nun to a defiant diva that had the audience firmly on her side by the time she sang a poignant rendition of ‘The Life I Never Lived’, which touchingly talks about how she discovered her inner strength.
Though the cast of Sister Act is predominantly female, the male cast also provided a number of memorable highlights as they performed two laugh-out-loud performances of ‘When I Find My Baby’ and ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’, combining awkwardness, physical humour and hilarious high-pitched voices that saw many shoulders shaking across the auditorium. In fact, two women sitting next to us were still giggling a good five minutes after!
Officer “Sweaty” Eddie, played by Richard Beckett, also delivered a strong performance that put the audience firmly on the side of his nice-guy character with a stand-out rendition of ‘I Could Be That Guy’ that earned him one of the biggest cheers of the night during the finale.
The real stand-out moment for us, however, was undoubtedly the big numbers, when some of the stars of the show were backed up on stage by the chorus. Between them, they literally raised the roof with their voices and created an electrically-charged atmosphere in the theatre.
Complemented by impressive choreography, a dazzling set and lighting, and a vibrant 12-piece band, Sister Act by the Aldridge Musical Comedy Society proved to be big hit with us and the audience. As the encore arrived, the full company were thoroughly deserved of their standing ovation and left many heading home with huge smiles on their faces – a thoroughly enjoyable night out!
What’s Next From AMCS?
AMCS return to The Prince of Wales Theatre this November with what is expected to be an exciting concert – Musicals That Rock – featuring songs from musicals such as Wicked, Rent, School of Rock, We Will Rock You and Bat Out of Hell to name but a few!
If you’re interested in finding out more about future performances, or how you can join the society, visit the AMCS website or Facebook page.