Today my prayers were answered, a good play with an intriguing plot, well thought-out characters, and a cast of talented actor-singer-dancers hit the stage with the genuinely correctly labelled “comedy”, Sister Act. This is a musical with a murder that is bound to hook anyone in- and that’s just the first few minutes.

We follow performer Deloris Van Cartier as she sets on her path to stardom. She struggles to get anywhere with her manager/lover Curtis, so she plans to pursue her career alone. Before she can leave him for good, she witnesses him commit a brutal murder. Whilst she manages to flee the scene, she knows he is set to hunt her down and keep her silence by any means necessary. The police insist she goes undercover to protect herself- as a nun, her worst nightmare. Despite her protest, she and the nuns start to warm up to each other as Deloris teaches them how to perform in their choir with new-found confidence. She starts to realise the importance of sisterhood as their choir gains fame, but not forgetting her dangerous ex who is on the move to catch her.

This show has everything needed of a performance, starting with the intense plot and the incredible songs. Landi Oshinowo as Deloris is a glittery spectacle, who goes from pursuing fame to discovering the importance of her sisters without ever missing a beat, or losing her bold personality. Her astounding voice is made for an emotional reprise of “Fabulous, baby!”, but also has us boogie in “Take Me to Heaven”, her debut with the nuns.  Whilst the choir makes perfect harmonies, we also see the nuns as individuals with raunchy jokes and a beautiful solo by Sister Mary Robert (Eloise Runnette), singing about her dreams beyond the Covent. Leaving us with chills, these pieces home the point of Deloris and the nuns learning from each other. Deloris learns about friendship and how fame isn’t everything, whilst keeping her spark, and the nuns learning to branch out and have confidence, whilst not losing their beliefs. It’s a beautiful message to leave with.

While the play has more mature themes, it never fails with the comedic aspect. This is evident during Eddie’s performance of “I Could be that Guy”, a song that, at first, seems like a sad ode to his love Deloris, when suddenly, his clothes are torn to reveal a sparkly playsuit. It launches into an intense dance number between him and fellow glittery cops, as he bursts into a jazzy number on how he could be the man for Deloris. I enjoy how this subplot adds a little extra to the story, but it doesn’t completely take over by making the show focused on romance. It is also a sign of how Deloris inspires others in ways she did not suspect, and creates a perfect contrast to her awful ex. Following suit, many of the dance numbers, especially the nuns’ big performance for the Pope, was stunning to watch. Although, for some solo parts the choreography does feel a bit stiff, and there could have been more given for Deloris to shine as the performer she is.

On the whole, the comedic parts of this play work so well, and this is mostly because they aren’t forced. The humour seems effortless with Deloris’ expressions, but also with Curtis’ henchmen, who use props and song comedy to try to seduce the nuns. Their gags are silly and theatrical, and that’s why it is funny! They do not attempt to include complicated humour with references people would not quite understand. Instead, they use fun movements and comments to entice the audience.

Really, this is the show to see. It has songs to be enjoyed by the whole family, and an expert balance of comedic, romantic and meaningful scenes. This is something I would watch again, except this time, I’d be rehearsing the soundtrack to sing along in my head!

Photography by Mark Senior