EVERYONE KNOWS SISTER ACT from the hugely popular Whoopy Goldberg film. And the musical is equally popular – which is why it keeps going back into the West End. But now HHTC has managed to get a performance licence in June and the cast is deep into rehearsals.
“It sounds wonderful and is looking pretty good so far” says director Iain Fowles. “We have a very strong cast and everyone has bonded so well together.” Iain knows the show very well indeed, having played the Monsignor in Berkhamsted Theatre Company’s production more than ten years ago and directed a production in Harpenden in 2017.
“We have one person from the Berkhamsted production and one from Harpenden,” he says. “The cast consists of fifty per cent members of HHTC and fifty percent new members.”
The stage at the Boxmoor Playhouse is smaller than the one at Harpenden, so the choreography has had to be rejigged but, happily for Iain, he has the same choreographer – his wife, Giselle. “We had 23 nuns on stage in my previous production and we only have room for 16,” he explained. This is because the nuns’ choreography is very energetic indeed and they need plenty of room!
If anyone doesn’t know the plot of Sister Act, I must explain that the heroine, Deloris, is a nightclub singer who takes refuge from her former gangster boyfriend in a New York convent and proceeds to take over and very much improve the choir there.
Sarah Winter plays Deloris. “She plays a nightclub singer, and these numbers really suit her,” says Iain. Andrew Edgar plays the policeman and Curtis, the villainous gangster, is played by Simon Vyvyan, who played Benedick in HHTC’s production last September of Much Ado About Nothing.
And if the ‘nuns’ need a bit of help, they can look forward to a master class from professional Eloise Runnette, who played Sister Mary Roberts in the recent West End revival and the UK and Ireland tour.
Sister Act will be on stage at the Boxmoor Playhouse from June 24th to 28th. Do get booking now as the tickets are disappearing fast “and we’re not really pushing it” says Iain.
