Last night I was invited to watch Sister Act at the Crescent Theatre, having always been a fan of the soulful soundtrack I was excited to finally see the show on stage. It tells the story of a young girl named Deloris Van Cartier who witnesses her crook of a boyfriend murder someone, after telling the police she is forced to go into hiding and ends up at a convent. She struggles to fit in with the nuns but soon after joining she becomes the choir master and uses her passion for singing to transform the choir into the hottest act in the neighborhood.
Sister Act was performed by The Arcadian’s, a theatre group that have been around since 1971, this is my first review of an amateur production and I was very impressed. The director and choreographer Mary Johns has done a superb job putting together this lively and expressive performance.
The crescent is the home to The Arcadians and what a beautiful venue it is, a huge theatre that was packed with audience last night to see the production. I thought the set was magnificent as it played a huge part in the story, there were a variety of scene changes and the convent in particular was staged brilliantly.
Nicole Appleby played the lead role of Deloris and what a fantastic job she did, not only is her voice outstanding but her comedy timing was perfect. The audience roared with laughter at her extroverted personality and witty one liners. Another stand out performance for me was Daniel Guzman who played the role of Eddie, the comedic policeman. He performed I can be that guy with such charisma and passion, really conveying his longing to be loved. I was very impressed with his stage presence as he commanded the role exquisitely. Jonathon Blake who played Curtis had excellent characterisation as he depicted the sleaziness of the role exceptionally.
Sarah Evans who played Mother Superior had a lovely sweet voice and I really enjoyed her take on the role and the growth of her character throughout the show as she slowly warmed to Deloris. I also adored Laura Peters who played Sister Mary Patrick, she brought a lot of humour to the production and her interpretation of the ditzy nun had everyone in stitches.
I was most impressed by Mairead Mallon who played Sister Mary Robert, not only is she absolutely stunning but her voice blew me away. She played the character flawlessly, her acting was precise as she portrayed the naivety of the role impeccably. Her vocals seemed effortless and I found her character really engaging. If she ever considered a career in the performing arts, with a little bit of confidence she could go a long way.
I really enjoyed the production especially the ending number Spread The Love Around which had the whole audience dancing along. Other than a few slow transitions and delayed lighting cues, the whole production ran smoothly.
It’s great to see people on stage who are just doing it for the love of theatre, I think it’s so important to support your local amateur dramatic groups as there is nothing I adore more than theatre bringing people together.
Sister Act is on until Saturday the 9th of May at the Crescent theatre and tickets can be found here.
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