Sister Act at the Regent Theatre Stoke Review
Reviewed by Debbie Lowndes
We had the privilege of attending the Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent to see the musical Sister Act. The choreography for the musical was put together by Craig Revel Horwood, of Strictly Come Dancing, and starring in the musical was Alexandra Burke. As you can imagine the theatre was buzzing at the thought of Alexandra being in town. The atmosphere within the venue was truly electrifying.
We arrived at the theatre a little ahead of the musical for pre-show drinks. There are a couple of areas to gather for drinks, one bring the piano bar. This offers a range of seating from sofas to tables and chairs. This area is warming and welcoming and is located on the first floor. The other area was the bar located of the ground floor close to the main entrance. The bar is modern and offers seating directly at the bar area. Drinks are reasonably price and there is a large selection of nibbles including sweets, crisps, nuts etc. There is also a stall where you can purchase bottle soft drinks and water. There are many areas to purchase refreshments. This is great as it cuts down queuing time to allow you to maximise enjoyment.
The actual theatre room offer numerous entrances, all of which are attended by staff who offer support, guidance and directions to ensure you locate your seat with ease. The seats offer good views of the stage and good leg room.
The musical commenced. In true Sister Act style the first half included the audition scene of Deloris Van Cartier in nightclub. Along the way, you hear a range of songs, see numerous dancers and talented musicians. Deloris witnesses the shooting which creates the plot for the musical. Deloris confesses to the police and then has to go into a convent undercover for security and safety reasons. During this time, she remains under the close eye of the Mother Superior. She is known to the nuns as Sister Mary Clarence and is does not take long until she has all of the nuns on side.
Following the interval Deloris, Sister Mary Clarence, takes on the organisation and transformation of the choir and this the leads to her location being revealed on national TV. This leads to the criminals tracking her down and her life becoming in danger. She is moved from the convent quickly for safety, leaving the nuns in devastation and then falls in love. The musical draws to close when she returns for choir’s performance to the Pope. The vocals as faultless. Alexandra belts the vocals with true quality it is room lifting.
I enjoyed the performance but if I am honest I think to storyline seemed to get a little lost in parts of the performance. The characters reproduced their characters just like they appeared within the original movie.
The performance is worth a visit just to hear the vocals. Alexandra is one impressive soulful diva.
Well done to all the cast and everyone involved.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £20.40 to £60.90 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
Sister Act is at the Regent Theatre in Stoke from 8-13 May 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/regent-theatre or call the box office on 0844 871 7649.
Regent Theatre, Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 1AP | 0844 871 7649
