Dronfield Musical Theatre Company’s Sister Act The Musical – 15 October 2025, Dronfield Civic Hall
Review by Nicola Bourne.
Well, I doubt there’s many who haven’t seen the 1992 film, Sister Act, and who still don’t picture Whoopi Goldberg playing the main role of Deloris Van Cartier, the nightclub singer turned nun, who is put in witness protection after seeing her gangster boyfriend shoot a police informant. The story follows her incongruous entrance into life at the convent and sees her inject her coarseness, glamour and pizzazz into events there, ultimately causing the uptight nuns to let loose, a little, and leading their mediocre church choir to great success.
In its new lease of life though, as a musical, a highly entertaining, comical show is unleashed, that doesn’t take itself too seriously and will appeal to an audience wanting a more light-hearted theatrical experience. While you won’t hear the soundtrack from the film, however, or the iconic song, I Will Follow Him, you are, instead, treated to some great, soulful songs and an original score by Alan Menken. Dronfield Musical Theatre Group, in their production of Sister Act, has an excellent orchestra, in full view and sounding great, and they have cast some strong singers to belt out these upbeat tunes! I especially like It’s Good to be a Nun and Sunday Morning Fever; in fact, anything the ensemble cast of nuns sing together is uplifting and sounds good (once Deloris has worked her magic, obviously!)
Rachel Cooper Bassett has a great voice for her lead role, as Deloris. Opening the show, singing Take Me to Heaven, it’s clear her voice won’t disappoint, but her alter ego, Sister Mary Clarence, takes it up a notch, in my opinion, when she sings Sister Act, later in the show, and really showcases her range, hitting some powerful high notes. Her gritty Philadelphia accent is maintained throughout; indeed, the whole cast’s accents are great and only add to the comedy feel.
The role of Mother Superior is really well suited to Sarah Betts, and for me, her acting ability stands out; she enunciates well and not a single word or lyric is lost. Performing I Haven’t Got a Prayer, is a highlight, which ends with another impressive, if unexpected, high note from her. Her frustration with God comes through well in this song and her comic timing is spot on! Equally, Lily Ward’s Mary Robert character is one worth watching; always 100% in character, she has a certain charisma and talent that draws you to watch her, even when she’s part of the bigger group of nuns.
For pure comedic effect, Monsignor O’Hara has the best scenes. Paul Black’s Irish accent is so believable, that I questioned whether he was, in fact, Irish. The audience love it and happily get involved in the fun atmosphere, when he dons his sunglasses and becomes the cool, uninhibited emcee, with his throaty, sensual introduction of the new and improved choir. Eddie, the show’s underdog and unlikely love interest, is played in a suitably understated way, by Andy Hibbert, to suit his character’s insecurities. When he performs I Could Be That Guy, it reminded me of the invisible Mister Cellophane from the show, Chicago. I love how his character’s confidence builds, though, during this performance, and when his inner star bursts through in a very entertaining costume reveal!
Speaking of costumes, there must have been so much work put into this production, if only for the large cast of nuns, never mind the rest! Whether it be the long, red leather boots, that define Deloris’s flamboyant personality, the cliché convict outfits, or the multi-coloured, glittery nuns’ habits, that epitomise their newfound success, each costume serves its comedy purpose well. Behind the scenes the crew did a great job too. There are sparkly nightclub lights, the sound of church bells, tuneful Latin pieces and, particularly stunning, stained glass window backdrops. Choreographer, Andrea Powell, incorporates some great dance moves, the energy changing from self-conscious dancing nuns to full blown disco and even an overly enthusiastic, hip hop performing Sister!
It’s nice to see so many young actors getting involved too (notably Charlie Betts, as Curtis, and his band of gangsters) and it’s good that they’re being given an opportunity to hone their performing skills in front of an audience. The gang come into their own when they explain how they would flirt their way into the convent, and Joey’s smooth moves go down particularly well, when singing the seductive Lady in the Long Black Dress.
Having already seen a previous UK tour production of Sister Act The Musical, I was already confident that there would be a few good laughs and that there would be a feel-good atmosphere to the evening. Dronfield Musical Theatre Group undoubtedly deliver that! There are numerous silly jokes, one-liners and physical comedy, which the audience thoroughly enjoy and, the director, Alan Powell, has staged a fun, vibrant production that the whole group can be proud of. The cast did successfully navigate some microphone gremlins, which I suspect were a one-off occurrence and can be put down to bad luck on the night. The show must go on, after all, and it didn’t detract from the overall experience or from a very enjoyable evening!
