Sister Act

The Alhambra

Runs until Saturday

THE closest Deloris Van Cartier has come to God is praying that one day she will wear a white mink around her shoulders - like her idol, Donna Summer.

But Deloris is a long way from fame and fortune. Making ends meet as a singer in a downtown Philadelphia nightclub owned by her dodgy boyfriend, Curtis Jackson, she dreams of a better life. Frustrated and hurt when married Curtis reveals he won't be spending Christmas with her, she decides to head out of town to follow her dream.

But when Deloris sees Curtis and his cronies commit a murder, then tells the police, she's held under witness protection, and whisked away to the one place the cops are sure she won't be found - a local convent.

Sister Act is the joyful tale of a nun on the run who starts as a fish out of water and becomes a much-loved member of the closeknit sisterhood.

Deloris is dismayed to learn that convent life means goodbye to her bad habits, and her beloved purple high-heeled boots. But before long she's working her magic on the nunnery's tone-deaf choir; transforming the wimple-clad warblers into a slick, soulful ensemble.

Beautifully directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, this sparkling new version of the musical - based on the hit film starring Whoopi Goldberg - is set in the late 1970s and brings some glitterball disco to the convent.

The lively score - featuring the toe-tapping Fabulous, Baby, Raise Your Voice and the showstopping Take Me To Heaven - fuses disco, funk, gospel and even a little rap, courtesy of Sister Mary Lazarus...

It's a nice touch having cast playing instruments on stage, showcasing the impressive multi-skills of the talented performers. You can't help but fall in love with these goofy sisters jamming on a washboard, fiddle and accordion belting out It's Good To Be A Nun.

There's an endearing cartoon-like appeal to the show, particularly with the nuns and Curtis's cronies, although the latters' sleazy drug-taking scene didn't sit well with the overall goofiness.

At the heart of the show is Alexandra Burke, who revealed a remarkable gift for comedy in the starring role. It's a given that she has a powerful voice but she shone as an actress too, and carried the action along. Barely off the stage, she captured the comic, brash, soulful and vulnerable aspects of Deloris, a girl who has clung to her dreams, despite life's hard knocks.

Joe Vetch stole our hearts as kindly cop Eddie, and Karen Mann was a class act as the Mother Superior.

Great performances too from Aaron Lee Lambert as Curtis, and Ricky Rojas, Samuel Morgan-Grahame and Sandy Grigelis as as his bumbling sidekicks.

But the night belonged to Deloris and her swinging sisters - the fabulous glitterball nuns.

Simply divine!