Sister Act review, Eventim Apollo: A heavenly revival of the classic Nineties crime comedy

Even without its original Hollywood star, the jolly musical’s return to the London stage is a complete treat

Beverley Knight as ‘Deloris van Cartier’ and Jennifer Saunders as ‘Mother Superior’ in Sister Act (Manuel Harlan)

Hallelujah! The wait hasn’t been in vain. It’s been a long road to get Sister Act: The Musical back on stage. Announced in 2019, the exuberant adaptation of the 1992 film should have made its West End return in the summer of 2020. As we know, the pandemic had other plans. The delay meant that Whoopi Goldberg was no longer available to reprise her starring role as planned – a concept that would have seen her character written 30 years older than usual, and one that plenty of fans were itching to see. Thankfully, even without its Oscar-winning star, this revival is heavenly.

The undeniably talented Beverley Knight now plays our hero, Deloris Van Cartier. She’s a mildly successful lounge singer with big dreams, but she must go straight into witness protection when she sees her married gangster boyfriend shoot one of his own henchmen dead. “Where are you gonna hide this?” the wannabe superstar gestures towards herself as she asks old schoolmate-turned-police officer Eddie Souther (Clive Rowe). The answer: an ailing convent, led by the droll and stately Mother Superior (a wonderfully dry Jennifer Saunders). Knight and Saunders are, respectively, some of the UK’s best-loved musical and comedic talents; the combination of these skills is magical. Both are completely in their element as characters who don’t understand why the other lives as they do, and their chemistry makes it fun to watch their conflicting viewpoints play out.

Deloris – now under the guise of “Sister Mary Clarence” – is soon tasked with leading the convent’s rusty choir of nuns to start making some joyful noises. Speaking of which: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater’s uplifting score is excellent and quickly dispels any worries about the songs differing from those in the movie. Set in late 1970s Philadelphia, Sister Act has a distinctly disco-infused sound that gives the audience instant earworms: Deloris’s club-banger “Take Me to Heaven” gets a clever gospel makeover, and you’re all the more thankful to hear it twice. “Raise Your Voice” is another rousing highlight, as Knight’s roaring voice leads the nuns to find their own vocal strengths.

As Officer Souther, Rowe shows why he’s long been such a staple of UK theatre, particularly in his wishful, surprise standout number, “I Could Be That Guy”. Elsewhere, the cast is packed to the (church) rafters with talent: Lesley Joseph and Keala Settle are hilarious opposites, portraying Sisters Mary Lazarus (crotchety with a penchant for rap) and Mary Patrick (simply ecstatic to be alive). Lizzie Bea is also delightful as young nun Sister Mary Robert; “The Life I Never Led”, a genuinely moving number about her fear of missing out on the outside world before having a chance to experience it, spotlights her sweet, strong vocals.

Sister Act is primarily Deloris’s show, which is no bad thing when you have someone like Knight steering the ship. The rest of the cast is so good that sometimes you wish for a few more opportunities to allow everyone to shine even brighter. But in any case, the show’s an irresistibly great time – thank God it’s finally here.

Sister Act: The Musical runs at Eventim Apollo until 28 August