Blackout Theatre Company: Sister Act - Review by Daniel Conway

Adaptation is hard, particularly when it comes to adapting beloved movies to the stage. Some shows like Legally Blonde do a wonderful job of taking what was good in the source material and creating something new. I cannot say the same for Sister Act. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if the composers of Sister Act had only ever read a synopsis of the movie. Nevertheless, this show has broad appeal and name recognition, and so it exists. I like to preface when my opinion of the material is bad so that I can make it clear that any negative opinions I have on the show are not the fault of the performers on the stage. Rather the opposite, Blackout Theatre Company's Sister Act has some truly wonderful performances by some really entertaining performers in spite of being hamstrung by a God-awful book.

Director Dennis Clements, in his note in the program, highlights the joy in the story and every choice on stage was clearly geared towards that. The production was camp in the best way, with a nudge and a wink to the audience that never took itself too seriously. One aspect that was seriously good were the set pieces. Each piece felt very intentional and helped to create delineated spaces on stage. The beautiful stone archways are stunning and really helped elevate the production. If you have read previous reviews of mine you will know that I have a combative relationship with projections. In this show, when used to create the halls of the church and the stained glass windows, filling in the world behind the stone arches, it was breathtaking. Other times, however, when it showed a police station through the same arches, it felt like putting a hat on a hat.

The music is a highlight of this show for sure and the work of Dr Angel Wong and her assistant Leo Tarbox cannot be overstated. The band were tight and the cast sounded so good together. One of the key narrative beats is these women sounding bad and then getting better, and Wong and Tarbox clearly worked hard to ensure this ensemble shone on stage, blending beautifully and being supported by a killer band. I will say, opening night is never without technical issues and I have so much grace for those who do the job of mixing the audio. I do not have the skills or knowledge to do what they do, so some of the unfortunate levelling moments, while noticeable when they happen, are understandable and I am sure will be ironed out.

The stars of the show are the sisters. For me the show does not really start until Sister Mary Clarence is born; the chemistry of these women was fabulous. This is usually a phrase you say when you did not enjoy a show, but I mean this with all sincerity: the women on stage looked like they were having so much fun. These women committed to everything they did with such energy and vigour. My favourite scene in the entire show was when these nuns in nightgowns are huddled around Deloris like the geriatric Von Trapps, singing about their favourite things — sorry, I mean their blessings. The absurdity and joy that Clements aimed to capture was on full display with the ensemble.

Angelique Elchaar is great as Deloris Van Cartier. To play this role you need to have a big personality, and she had more than enough. Elchaar has a phenomenal voice and commands the stage with a brash attitude and a cheeky smile. Her scenes with Mother Superior, played expertly by Julianne Horne, were some of my favourites. Elchaar's youthful charm balanced well with Horne's steady piousness to create some great moments. This was of course aided by the fact that no one pulls off a dry one-liner quite like Julianne Horne. Horne is brilliant in this role; her voice is wonderful and fits the role so well, but it is her presence on stage — she is so in control at all times, with a sternness not devoid of warmth. I think the script lets these two women down by not having them interact more.

I have already spoken about the wonderful female ensemble, but I would be remiss not to highlight Cassidy Donovan, Renee Bechara and Rachel Besley as Sisters Mary Robert, Patrick and Lazarus respectively. Donovan has a killer voice and does a fantastic job voicing the meek Mary Robert and her eventual breakthrough. Bechara is an utter joy in the role of Mary Patrick. Her physicality, her ever-present smile and gleeful voice bring so much energy to the stage. Besley is tremendous as Mary Lazarus. She spends the whole show giving such great face and attitude, taking every moment and committing to it fully — there is a reason she was a crowd favourite on opening night.

The coterie of nuns is joined by some talented and memorable men. While I think that the male roles in this show are superfluous and I would have preferred more songs with and by the nuns to further develop them, you cannot argue that these men worked with what they had and showed out. Some standout moments included Andrew Topinio (playing Eddie Souther) and his beautiful, soulful voice, Nathaniel Lawson's playful characterisation as TJ, as well as his physical comedy, and Christopher Melotti, who has one of the most consistent accent performances on stage.

Sister Act is a story about community: women who find each other and, in doing so, find themselves. It is a shame the book does so little to honour that idea. Blackout Theatre Company's cast, however, honours it completely. If you can make peace with a script that mistakes noise for wit, you will find a stage full of genuine warmth and performers who look like they are exactly where they want to be. That joy is hard to resist.