Last night I was invited to The Orchard Theatre, Dartford to review SISTER ACT (A Divine Musical Comedy), the UK Tour. I have seen SISTER ACT before, in the West End, and this show was better... here's why:
The "Star" castings for this show were, Lesley Joseph as Mother Superior, Sandra Marvin as Derloris Van Cartier and Clive Rowe as Eddie Souther. This was an example of star castings done right. Lesley Joseph was hilarious as Mother Superior, she has such incredible stage presence and she knows how to pull the comedy out of every moment, whilst still maintaining a credible Senior Nun. Her "shaving" scene will stay with me for a long time, it was genius. So perfectly cast, her voice was perfect for the role, I never knew she could sing, but, wow, can she.
I have seen many "television" actors in musical theatre roles, cast to help bring more audiences to the theatre, and often they are very good. In this instance, I'd say Lesley Joseph was made for this role and brought such experience and intelligence to the part, that she was an absolute highlight for me.
Clive Rowe was an endearing Eddie, he definitely had the audience routing for him and his solo, "! Could Be That Guy" was a fun and entertaining moment in the show. He has a fantastic voice and really brought out the lovely softness of Eddie. The connection between his character and Deloris was so sweet and sincere, they had a great chemistry.
Now, Sandra Marvin as Deloris Van Cartier is something really special. Her characterisation of Deloris was hilarious, heartfelt and powerful. Her vocals were like watching an arena concert, she is an absolute powerhouse with the acting chops to match. I loved how she interacted with all the other characters on stage, and she brought so much humanity and heart to the role that you couldn't help but fall in love with her. When I saw Sister Act in the West End, I found the character of Deloris a bit "prickly", but Sandra Marvin brought so much heart to it that she was loveable from the start. She brought many of the bigger laugh out loud moments and her journey from self-centred wannabe singer to compassionate, grounded star was well thought out and utterly believable. Sometimes, in musical theatre, the characters can be quite heightened and lose out a little to the music, but in this case Sandra brought out the character of Deloris as a grounded, flawed and loveable diva with expertise.
The cast overall are all clearly at the top of their game, such a strong ensemble and they clearly are very passionate about the show. The gangsters were funny, and brought some giggles from the audience, but the nuns were the cherry on the top of a delicious cake. Lizzie Bea as Sister Mary Robert brought the house down with her solo "The Life I Never Led" and all the harmonies and ensemble nun numbers were so beautiful and joyous. Each nun had a unique and distinctive character that added so much humour and warmth to the story and collectively they formed a sisterhood any of us would love to be a part of. The friendship, love and unity was so powerful, and beautifully displayed in the scene where Curtis (Deloris' ex-partner) finally catches up with her again. The Nuns rush to her side, risking their own lives to protect their sister, it was incredible moving.
The songs in general are winners, feel-good, uplifting, toe-tapping, clap along belters. The set is a masterpiece, the stunning stained glass window provides the backdrop for much of the evening and it creates such a beautiful setting. Every single person on and off the stage clearly have a lot of passion for what they do and it shows in this slick, professional, hilarious and heartfelt joy of a show. I went along tonight thinking it would be fun, I came out feeling so happy and joyful, this is the best show I've seen yet at The Orchard Theatre, and I say run, don't walk to grab yourself a ticket!
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