We raised the roof for three nights with the Senior School production of the musical extravaganza ‘Sister Act; The Musical’.
The feel-good comedy is based on the hit film starring Whoopi Goldberg and is an energetic, colourful and entertaining piece of theatre. A cast of 78 pupils and crew worked exceptionally hard over ten weeks to bring the show to the stage and they certainly did not disappoint with standing ovations and rave reviews: ‘Inspiring’, ‘so much talent’, ‘incredible’, ‘joyful’, ‘amazing’ ‘soulful’ were just some of the comments.
Our heroine showgirl-turned-nun Deloris was played to perfection by the supremely-talented Harriet Alexander, who also appeared on the X Factor earlier this year. She was ably supported by classmate Meg Rofe who delivered an outstanding performance as the formidable Mother Superior with Amelia Negus-Fancey as an adorably sweet Sister Mary Robert, Scarlett Spillane as ‘sweaty’ Eddie and Charlotte Dodd as Monsignor O’Hara. Jada Sanyaolu managed to embody the word ‘sinister’ with her portrayal of Deloris’s evil boyfriend Curtis but the show was not short on laughs – particularly with superbly comic performances from Melody Lewis as Sister Mary Patrick, Megan Griffiths Tucker as Sister Mary Lazarus and Bethan Hughes as Pablo. There were also excellent performances from Timothea Sanyaolu as TJ, Carmen Vicary as Joey, Rebecca Kerridge as Ernie, Bethia Howard as Sister Mary Martin of Tours and Thea Watts as Sister Mary Theresa.
Headmistress Mrs Wallace-Woodroffe said: “’I’ve got my sisters by my side’ rang out from the stage last week, as the girls gave their all to a school performance which filled the soul with joy! What a message the song – and the show as a whole – delivers; the transformative power of friendship, community and, of course, music. “I am immensely proud of everyone involved in bringing this production to the stage. From our multi-talented actors and musicians to the stage crew and technical support team, it has been a labour of love for all of them which certainly paid off. “The girls learned so much more than stage craft through taking part; new friendships blossomed and confidence grew as they saw their shared vision slowly take shape. They weren’t just singing about the power of friendship, community and music, they were living and breathing it. My hearty congratulations to them all – our pupils, their supportive parents and of course our music and drama teachers.”
