SISTER ACT 
Palace Theatre, Manchester 
Until Saturday 

SISTERS are back in the act. 

Sister Act returned to Manchester on Monday evening for six nights of a disco diva on the run, nuns and fun. 

Based on the smash hit 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith, Sister Act tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a singer whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. 

Under protective custody, she is hidden in the one place she won’t be found — a convent.

After a half an hour delay, due to technical reasons, the show finally kicked off at 8pm on opening night. 

Slick choreography, dazzling costumes and a leading lady with attitude combine to make this a show worth watching for musical theatre fans. 

Alexandra Burke, who won The X Factor in 2008, is fantastic as Deloris, not only looking and sounding fantastic but proving she can do comedy acting. 

Just as she seemingly stepped effortlessly into the musical shoes of Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard, she displays her comedic timing and talent a la Whoopi. 

Disguised as a nun and under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.

The cast works well together, particularly during the big musical numbers. 
Joining Alexandra are Jon Robyns as Eddie, Aaron Lee Lambert as Curtis, Karen Mann as Mother Superior, Rosemary Ashe as Sister Mary Lazarus, Sarah Goggin as Sister Mary Robert, Susannah Van Den Berg as Sister Mary Patrick and Allison Harding as Sister Mary Theresa.

Several films of yesteryear have graced the Manchester stage recently, including Dirty Dancing and The Bodyguard, and the trend seems set to continue with Ghost in October. 

Unlike Dirty Dancing and The Bodyguard which feature songs from the films, Sister Act is made of solely original music by the eight-time Oscar and Tony Award winner Alan Menken.

Although the songs were fantastically toe-tapping, I would have liked to have heard some from the film interspersed with the original tunes. 

Directed and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, Sister Act is packed to the rafters with musical numbers and with a divine leading lady.