Sister Act At Nottingham Theatre Royal REVIEW

Photo ©Tristram Kenton 

If you're still suffering withdrawal symptoms from the fantastic Sound Of Music production that toured last year, here's a show that might just go some way to filling that nun-shaped void- all souped up to a high octane, funky-on-down beat.

Busting open with a nightclub disco number, Cynthia Erivo is a sassy firecracker in purple thigh-highs as Deloris Van Cartier, the infamous Whoopi Goldberg role from the original film. There are a few story shifts for this musical version which now takes place in 1970s Philadelphia, with Deloris in her 20s instead of late 30s and at the beginning of her career rather than the end and fans of the film won't be hearing Rescue Me and My Guy (My God) as Motown has their own musical and the songs couldn't be used. An entirely original score was composed for the show and if fans wonder if the musical suffers from losing the familiar hits, then confidentially we can say, no way Jose!

Sister Act is a non-stop blast of entertainment of 70s spangly pizzazz and soul-sister moving and a-grooving, with show-stopping numbers and bring-the-house-down dance routines featuring Deloris's scary gangster boyfriend and his rubbish-moonwalking, cheerfully cheesily-seductive back up dancing-singing gang, a triple-quick changing (how did they DO that?) adorably love-interest sweaty cop and the familiar assortment of nuns including the naive ingenue one, the hyperactive one and the wizened shuffling one (watch her hip-hop!) Faithful to the film and with typical musical theatre speed (the duration of one song) Deloris transforms the tone-deaf collection of pious nuns into a sensational heavenly-funk choir (hallelujah!) with truly spectacular, hilarious and eye-popping dance moves.

Glitter-drenched, fast, furious, funny, glorious, divine and with Sinbad from Brookside playing a Monsignor, this show dazzles and razzles in excelsis Deo. Go and get down, get your groove on, clap your hands, it'll put a smile on your face, faith in your heart and it's damn good your soul, ooh yeah.

Sister Act is at Nottingham Theatre Royal till March 31st, full details and ticket prices can be found at http://www.trch.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15009