MUSICALS
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Local Company “tempo” bring the off Broadway smash hit “Nunsense” to the fringe this festival season. They really succeed in spreading the good word from above in comedy style.

The story of Nunsense follows a group of 5 nuns from a convent in Hoboken New York having suffered the lost of most of the sisters due to a bad batch of Vichyssoise soup and having spent the last of the money on a new plasma TV. Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina is forced to place four of the nun’s bodies in the deep freezer while she tries to raise the funds to bury them. Her cunning idea is to enlist Sisters Mary Amnesia a victim of blow to the head by a crucifix, Mary Hubert ever so repressed, Robert Anne a nun with individuality and flare for a Broadway belter and finally Sister Mary Leo late of the Ballet School. Together they put on a talent show and its we, the audience who are invited to see their efforts.

The show is filled with comedy as every nun joke in creation is given a good airing to belly laughs from the audience along with excellent musical numbers showcasing the power vocals from the 5 leading ladies. Outstanding performance come from Gabrielle Pavone as sister Amnesia as she struggles to remember who she is and why god put her on earth, dolly parton apparently holds the key. For me the knock out performance comes from Niloo Far Khan as Sister Robert Anne as she shows one can believe in god but still be her own person and she gets the balance of conviction and tenderness just right.

The whole production is anchored but a small four piece onstage house band under the direction of Simon Hanson who really do the score justice. That said there were some sound problems and it did feel as though the girls voices were roaring through the speakers to the audience. It’s also a bit of marathon at 2 hours and 20 minutes which is highly unusual for a piece of fringe theatre.

This really is a worthy four star effort and I hope the audiences travel to this venue which is on the fringe of the fringe due to the relocation of assembly this year. So put aside your own religion and get on down to nunsense for a fun musical night out!