Sister Act At Millennium Forum

1992's Sister Act is a marmite movie. One tends to love it, or hate it. Either it's great, or it grates. On the other hand, such logic could be applied to musicals in general, arguably the ultimate love-hate genre. Which, I suppose, makes its adaptation into a stage musical a no-brainer.

On the other hand, musicals can have an infectiousness that's hard to resist, and the Londonderry Musical Society's production of Sister Act comes complete with both this and an all round energy that thrills its audience.

It's also a challenge for the society and especially director Deigh Reid. After handling dramatic intimacy in 2014's Jekyll & Hyde and soulful subversion in 2015's Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, they are now left with making the relatively insubstantial substantial.

Because plot wise, as those familiar with the film will know, there really isn't a whole lot to Sister Act: the age old story of an outsider who gets to help a poor minority. In this case, a group of nuns at a convent are about to get tuned up to the wonders of popular music and the outside world by wannabe diva Deloris Van Cartier (Emer McCaffrey).

Witnessing a murder has put Deloris in danger and the only (temporary) solution seems to be going undercover as Sister Mary Clarence. But of course, her very presence at the convent has consequences for both Deloris and her fellow Sisters, namely the spaced out Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours (Christine Deane), the harshly voiced Mary Lazarus (Joanne Palmer), the extroverted Mary Patrick (Muire McCallion) and the sweet, shy Mary Robert (Enya Loughlin).

Such scripted simplicity leaves the show entirely in the hands of its humour, set design, show tunes and most importantly cast. Here, Sister Act finds itself.

The book, penned by Cheers writers Cheri & Bill Steinkellner, features some of the humour and poignancy that made the Boston bar comedy an international institution. With the 1970s setting comes soul and disco influenced tuneage: if you're thinking Saturday Night Fever and Grease, you have the right idea, though there's elements of FAME, Barry White and Marvin Gaye here too. All this satisfies a clear craving for carefree innocence in both the cast and the audience, which is entirely fulfilled, despite the appropriately toned down presence of gangsters and fireworks. (This is a family production, after all...)

The efficiently minimalist set design is an impressive backdrop to the razzle dazzle emanating from leading lady Emer McCaffrey. Her seductive swagger and booming boisterousness is the perfect fit for delirious Deloris. It's only unfortunate that her romance with David Keown's Eddie Souther feels like an afterthought, but this is no fault of the actors; Keown's rendition of “I Could Be That Guy” complete with hilarious John Travolta-esque get up and excellent choreography, is quite something.

Elsewhere, Muire McCallion's Mary Patrick and Geoff Coke's Monsignor are absolute hoots, Vincent Lynch is coolly threatening as gangster Curtis, and Rory Mullan, James Nangle and Michael Poole make a fine comedic mobster trio. But the longest impression is arguably left by Enya Loughlin's Mary Robert and Judith O'Hare's Mother Superior, their solo numbers coming across as the perfect expression of desire to change and comfort in routine respectively.

If Sister Act at times feels on the edge of pantomime, in the name of fun this is no bad thing. It is impossible not to be taken in by the exuberant spirit of the whole production, the eclectic enthusiasm and concentrated commitment bursting out from everyone involved. And when it soars – which happens quite often – the chuckles are hearty and the claps are loud, ensuring that overall appreciation is indubitably heartfelt.

Simon Fallaha

Sister Act runs at Derry-Londonderry's Millennium Forum until Saturday March 12.