Sister Act, London Palladium | reviews, news & interviews
Sister Act, London Palladium
Sister Act, London Palladium
Whoopi dons a wimple and draws the crowds in late-summer sell-out
Friday, 13 August 2010
Whooping it up: the one-time star of the two 'Sister Act' movies makes her London stage debut in a role originated by Maggie Smith
You can't move in London for American performers, whether it's the Yankee contingent of The Bridge Project at the Old Vic, or the presence at various addresses of Mercedes Ruehl, Jeff Goldblum, Glee star (and erstwhile Tony nominee) Jonathan Groff, and, of course, pretty well the entire cast of Hair. But incomplete though that run-down is (one mustn't forget the silvery voiced Sierra Boggess in Love Never Dies or David Hyde Pierce's stern-faced mien in La Bête), few visitors have fired up the public as has Whoopi Goldberg, at the Palladium for three weeks to boost the musical, Sister Act, on which she also gets top billing as producer. And how is the Whoopster in a wimple? The more fascinating topic is the galvanising effect that her arrival has had on the show as a whole.
You can't move in London for American performers, whether it's the Yankee contingent of The Bridge Project at the Old Vic, or the presence at various addresses of Mercedes Ruehl, Jeff Goldblum, Glee star (and erstwhile Tony nominee) Jonathan Groff, and, of course, pretty well the entire cast of Hair. But incomplete though that run-down is (one mustn't forget the silvery voiced Sierra Boggess in Love Never Dies or David Hyde Pierce's stern-faced mien in La Bête), few visitors have fired up the public as has Whoopi Goldberg, at the Palladium for three weeks to boost the musical, Sister Act, on which she also gets top billing as producer. And how is the Whoopster in a wimple? The more fascinating topic is the galvanising effect that her arrival has had on the show as a whole.
Goldberg's gravelly voiced, po-faced presence has transformed the musical. Suddenly, Sister Act is fun
Explore topics
Share this article
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Theatre
L’Addition, BAC review - top billing for physical comedy duo
The latest in Forced Entertainment’s 40 years of experiment is a thought-tickling farce
Barcelona, Duke of York's Theatre review - Lily Collins migrates from France to Spain
The 'Emily in Paris' star surrenders to cliche - or does she?
Guards at the Taj, Orange Tree Theatre review - miniature marvel with rich resonances
Rajiv Joseph’s play pitting beauty against duty gets an impressive staging
The Buddha of Suburbia, Barbican Theatre review - farcical fun, but what about the issues?
Hanif Kureishi classic gets a compulsively comic makeover from Emma Rice
How To Survive Your Mother, King's Head Theatre review - mummy issues drive autobiographical dramedy
Lots of heartache, but a strange void where the heart of the play should be
Dr Strangelove, Noël Coward Theatre review - an evening of different parts
Kubrick’s humour doesn't always detonate as it should in Armando Iannucci's version
Reykjavik, Hampstead Theatre review - drama frozen by waves of detail
Richard Bean’s new play revisits the Hull fishing industry of the 1970s
The Forsyte Saga Parts 1 and 2, Park Theatre review - if Chekhov did soap operas
Joseph Millson leads a super cast in a classy production from Troupe Theatre Company
The Wild Duck, The Norwegian Ibsen Company, Coronet Theatre review - slow burn, devastating climax
Ibsen's pitiless take on the 'life lie' is another triumph for Norwegians in Notting Hill
Autumn, Park Theatre review - on stage as in politics, Brexit drama promises much, but loses its way
Promising production, beautifully acted, slides into side plots and confusion
The Fear of 13, Donmar Warehouse review - powerful analysis of a gross injustice
A magnificent Adrien Brody leads a moving production by Justin Martin
The Duchess [of Malfi], Trafalgar Theatre review - actors imprisoned by confused time travelling
Zinnie Harris's modern take robs the play of its tragic potential
Add comment