I must confess from the outset that some of my all-time favourite movies just so happen to involve nuns – from classics such as The Bells of St Mary’s and The Nun’s Story, to the evergreen Sound of Music and magnificently silly Nuns On The Run. Perhaps you could say I have a habit for enjoying nun films (see what I did there?). Ahem. Anyway, it is surely the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg spectacular Sister Act which tops them all. The plot (in case you have been living on a different planet for 30 years) revolves around a Reno lounge singer by the name of Deloris Van Cartier who is moving in all the wrong circles. Her gangster boyfriend, Vince, is not the nicest of chaps. When she witnesses him ‘execute’ a local enemy she realizes that she is in far too deep and heads to the police for assistance. Police lieutenant (and old acquaintance) Eddie Souther places her in Witness Protection under the care of the Mother Superior at a local Convent, a decision that leaves the oh so worldly Deloris horrified. The comedy and indeed the drama that follows stems from the tension and angst caused by the clash of cultures between the two very different lifestyles.

The musical adaptation first opened in the UK in June 2009 at the London Palladium, directed by Peter Schneider, and produced by the legendary Whoopi Goldberg (the original Deloris) herself. It tells the story afresh, but with a different, updated soundtrack. It eventually transferred to Broadway, then out on tour to the regions. This week, the toe-tapping Sisters have arrived at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham.

Landi Oshinowo stars as Deloris, and my goodness me what an excellent job she does of portraying this conflicted character. She has a magnificent voice, and is completely believable as the lounge singer with aspirations. The hair and frocks are fabulously flamboyant, loud and proud. The energy levels are through the roof. Her pizzazz and grit shine through from the get go and the whole audience are rooting for her throughout.

Mother Superior, the chalk to Deloris’ cheese, is played by Wendi Peters, an actor with a face that can portray a thousand effortless emotions. Peters is simply splendid as the icy and suspicious matriarch, distributing acid drop asides with redoubtable relish. She also allows us to glimpse the softer, more sensitive side to the old formidable frost bag too.

My favourite character in the show is Sister Mary Patrick (Isabel Canning), a nun with a larger than life sense of fun, a joie de vivre that most of us could only ever dream of. Canning has some wonderful comedy moments, a powerhouse voice, and hits all the right notes musically and comedically. Eloise Runnette’s Sister Mary Robert brings so much heart to the show, especially in her Act Two Anthem ‘The Life I Never Led’ which is a technically difficult piece that is just beautifully performed. I love the mischievous glint in the eye of St Mary Martin of Tours (Kate Powell) too – it’s magical.

Alfie Parker as Policeman and admirer ‘Steady’ Callum Martin is excellent, and his energy in his big number ‘I Could Be That Guy’ is electrifying. He brings the house down. Kudos to Morgan Large for costumes, an aspect of the show that really comes into its own here.

The staging and choreography (Alistair David) are simple but effective, and combined with the light design by Tim Mitchell, the visual impact is a total treat. The music is from the pen of Disney legend Alan Menken, and so as you might expect is catchy and joyous. It uplifts and moves in equal measure. In the hands of Musical Director Tom Slade the overall impact is quite stunning.

Would I recommend you see this show? You bet I would! It’s heavenly. It’s a story about friendship – sisterhood in particular – and is upliftingly powerful. You’ll leave the theatre humming the melodies and tapping your toes. You’ll feel blessed to have seen it! I’d highly recommend catching the Singing Sisters onstage here in Nottingham – be quick – they are only in town until Saturday  21^st September 2024.