Sister Act (Tudor Musical Comedy Society)
Gracing the stage at a new venue for me Sutton Coldfield Town Hall are Tudor MCS with their version of the currently popular (on the amateur circuit) Alan Menken and Glenn Slater musical Sister Act. Director Faye Easto has assembled a glorious array of nuns to provide some power into the big numbers of this production and ‘Take Me To Heaven’ at the close of Act 1 almost raises the roof literally.
It isn’t however necessarily the number of nuns that defines the real entertainment value, it’s the quality of the sound made across the cast both individually and as a whole that really counts. Marsha Webbe is a soulfully controlled Deloris Van Cartier with just the right amount of exuberant touches to keep the portrayal believable. Contrasting nicely are Jenny Padley’s constantly excited Sister Mary Patrick, Paula Lumsden’s grittily comic Sister Mary Lazarus and the dewy-eyed charm of Hattie Rumsey’s Sister Mary Robert.
Trying desperately to keep control of her convent is Sally Joliffe as a mightily voiced Mother Superior supported in her efforts or probably better described as disrupted by John Johnson as an entertaining Monsignor O’Hara.
On the hunt for Deloris after she witnesses him commit a murder is club owner and gang boss Curtis, played with surreal edginess by Jonathan Blake assisted by a hapless trio of henchmen, annoying nephew TJ played by Luke Flaherty, flawed ladies man Joey played by Ed Mears and the one that nobody can understand, the quaintly Spanish Pablo played by Elliot Perlic, these guys are highly amusing but, I’m not sure they’d really last long in the Philadelphia underworld which makes the characterisation all the funnier.
Nathan Rock adds a hint of love interest for Deloris as Officer ‘Sweaty’ Eddie Souther, suspect however that she would just be a little too much for him in almost every way.
There’s a considerable amount of ‘set change’ to cope with in this production and Stage Manager Nigel Gaunt and his team do an admirable job in making all of this as seamless as possible.
You’ve only got until Saturday 3rd February 2018 to catch the action ‘here within these walls’ so do yourself a favour and book some tickets now.
Book Here
It isn’t however necessarily the number of nuns that defines the real entertainment value, it’s the quality of the sound made across the cast both individually and as a whole that really counts. Marsha Webbe is a soulfully controlled Deloris Van Cartier with just the right amount of exuberant touches to keep the portrayal believable. Contrasting nicely are Jenny Padley’s constantly excited Sister Mary Patrick, Paula Lumsden’s grittily comic Sister Mary Lazarus and the dewy-eyed charm of Hattie Rumsey’s Sister Mary Robert.
Trying desperately to keep control of her convent is Sally Joliffe as a mightily voiced Mother Superior supported in her efforts or probably better described as disrupted by John Johnson as an entertaining Monsignor O’Hara.
On the hunt for Deloris after she witnesses him commit a murder is club owner and gang boss Curtis, played with surreal edginess by Jonathan Blake assisted by a hapless trio of henchmen, annoying nephew TJ played by Luke Flaherty, flawed ladies man Joey played by Ed Mears and the one that nobody can understand, the quaintly Spanish Pablo played by Elliot Perlic, these guys are highly amusing but, I’m not sure they’d really last long in the Philadelphia underworld which makes the characterisation all the funnier.
Nathan Rock adds a hint of love interest for Deloris as Officer ‘Sweaty’ Eddie Souther, suspect however that she would just be a little too much for him in almost every way.
There’s a considerable amount of ‘set change’ to cope with in this production and Stage Manager Nigel Gaunt and his team do an admirable job in making all of this as seamless as possible.
You’ve only got until Saturday 3rd February 2018 to catch the action ‘here within these walls’ so do yourself a favour and book some tickets now.
Book Here
Comments
Post a Comment