SISTER ACT REVIEW
Sister Act is 'a triumph', complete with jiving nuns
Sister Act is a modern day theatrical phenomenon - a new musical which looks set to run and run in the West End.
Competition for audiences in the West End is fierce due to the vast array of choice available - from cutting edge new shows to established favourites. However, the musical version of Sister Act at the London Palladium has had no trouble selling theatre tickets, thanks to its funny, fast-moving plot and uplifting songs.
Based on the smash-hit 1992 Whoopi Goldberg movie of the same name, Sister Act tells the story of disco diva Deloris Van Cartier, who is placed in a police protection programme in a convent after witnessing a murder.
Despite an uneasy relationship with Mother Superior, Deloris soon becomes a leading figure in the convent, using her disco roots to perk up its choir. And when her cover is blown and the gangsters come searching for her, she needs every bit of help available from her new friends in the sisterhood.
The producers of Sister Act took the basic storyline from the movie and then brought in the best possible people to transform it into a successful musical.
Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, who previously worked together on the musical version of The Little Mermaid, provided Sister Act's score and lyrics respectively, while the book is by Cheers writers Cheri and Bill Steinkellner. Disney stalwart Peter Schneider directs.
Bringing in the best has worked wonders, as Sister Act has not only wowed West End audiences, it has also impressed the notoriously difficult to please London theatre critics.
Charles Spencer of the Daily Telegraph suggested the musical is much more enjoyable than the film. He added: "Frankly, what's not to like, especially when you've got a chorus line of jiving nuns singing their hearts out ecstatically?"
The Evening Standard's Fiona Mountford was every bit as enthusiastic about Sister Act and concluded: "Whether or not divine intervention is involved, it's a wimple-wibbling, habit-forming triumph."
Why not book Sister Act tickets for a fun night at the theatre?