I adored Sister Act the movie (though I adored Sister Act 2 more) and as a musical movie I thought it would lend itself very well to a theatre conversion. After tonight’s performance I’m fairly convinced and in fact some parts of the show were even better than seeing it on screen.

For those unfamiliar with the Sister Act story line – Deloris Van Cartier (don’t you love the name) is a wannabe superstar but has to content herself with singing in a small lounge bar. Her boyfriend/agent, unfortunately, is actually a gangster so has bigger concerns than promoting her career. Just when she reaches the breaking point with him in both their personal and professional relationship she witnesses him killing someone. He sees her and sets his goons on him. She realises her life is in danger. She is no cowering mouse though and rather than run she goes to the police to report the murder. The policeman, who turns had a childhood crush on her, arranges her to enter a witness protection program … with cloistered nuns. Of course the inevitable clash between the strictly run nunnery and the vibrant, boozing, smoking, outrageous Deloris happens but along the way both sides learn to depend on each other and in the end cement a bond of friendship. Although of course the music used as a vehicle to tell the story it is mainly featured when Deloris takes the very rubbish nuns of the choir and turns them into a rocking one.

The first third of the musical was a little slow as we watch Deloris sing in the lounge, break up with her boyfriend, witness the murder and enter the nunnery but after that there is no holding back this musical. Admittedly there were quite a few laughs to be had in the first third but its really in the rest of the musical that you really start your toe-tapping and swaying. What follows is a class display of how to really deliver disco-anthems. Patina Miller, who takes on the part of Deloris, had some really big shoes to fill following in the steps of Whoopi Goldberg and though, like the musical, she took a bit of time to get going when she hit it, well, wow – she really hit it. That girl can surely belt out the song and she really brought the performance home. She couldn’t carry any of it off though without a good supporting cast, who were excellent and actually were spot on to the characters from the movie, great band, who were awesome, and set.

The set was pretty awesome actually – with lots of huge constantly moving pieces. In particular the standout act had to be the series of song sung by the nuns in the church. Each song representing another week and a growing congregation, increasing donations and subsequently steady renovation of the church. Not only does the set get fancier and fancier so too do the nuns’ robes.

I didn’t think I wasn’t going to enjoy the show as much as the movie especially having heard that all the songs were newly written for the musical with none carrying over from the film. However, the show is a great and once it hits its stride doesn’t really have a slow moment. Lots of great disco hits and lots of great fun to be had.