There’s no shortage of great performances in UCL Musical Theatre Society’s Sister Act, but Nina O’Hanlon stole the show for me.
Nina embodies Deloris, whether in a habit or sequins and heels, giving a real theatrical performance backed with the kind of undeniable stage presence that makes her impossible not to watch.
From the first number right through till curtain call, she’s nothing but captivating as the lounge-singer-turned-fake-nun, hiding out in witness protection so her mob boss boyfriend can’t kill her before she testifies against him for murder.
As with most truly fun musicals, Sister Act is riddled with plot holes; see mob lackeys running into Deloris dressed as a nun in a bar and never thinking to check for her in the nunnery across the street.
In the absence of logic, it’s a musical which really has to be funny.
And it is!
The back-and-forths between Deloris and Ayushi Bhanja as Mother Superior are perfectly timed and a real highlight of the performance. The dry and the dramatic meet to leave the audience in legitimate hysterics.
Eddie gets laughs too; sweetness sells, and Tumo Reetsang sells it. He’s at his best in his solo number at the hotdog stand as the perfect endearing underdog.
Whilst he finishes the show as a hero in a rare scene where “American cop shoots man” is a good thing, it is a shame that the chemistry between him and Deloris falls totally flat. The audience is left hoping for some romance that never quite comes to fruition… but sisterly love is the name of the game (and show), and the sisters give us plenty of that with the nunnery scenes consistently being the best of the night.
Not only can everyone in the nunnery can sing — especially the Mother Superior who gives what is probably the best vocal performance of the show with her rendition of “Haven’t Got A Prayer” — but they can act too. The sisters are memorable and individual, forming a stunning ensemble yet never simply blending into one.
While the standards of acting and singing are a clear cut above the dancing, the performance as a whole is deeply impressive from start to finish, never failing to be very enjoyable.
But actors can only shine when the work is put in offstage, and that’s what really takes Sister Act to the standard that it reached.
Conductor Ronan Venkat has lots to be proud of: both an excellent pope costume and a band that was near perfect from start to finish. The music is a lot of what brings a professional quality to the show, alongside excellent costumes and an I-can’t-believe-it-was-built-by-students set.
Sister Act is performed against the beautiful backdrop of a church-style stained glass window reaching up the back of the stage and giving the whole show a taste of the real stylishness of religion. The set otherwise is never over the top, but always immersive. Nothing, whether furniture or exit, looks out of place; even one of the cast members couldn’t seem to find the subtly hidden door in the side of the stage.
Sister Act was a brilliant night out: stylish, high-energy and very, very funny. It was a riot, a great musical done well, and everyone involved has plenty of reasons to be seriously proud of themselves. My heart goes out to anyone who didn’t manage to go and see it; you really missed out!
