Sister Act – Bradford Alhambra

FORGETFULNESS is divine if you watch Craig Revel Horwood’s hugely enjoyable restaging of the musical based on the hit 90s movie.

Forget the production that toured a couple of years ago because that had nowhere near the emotional impact nor memorable moments of this new outing.

Forget Whoopi Goldberg’s tour de force performance in the original movie, for this stage version is absolutely, fabulously Alexander Burke’s show.

And forget that Burke came to fame through the X Factor because – while her fantastic voice is clearly evident – she is no ‘singer trying her hand at acting’.

And while you’re throwing away preconceptions, Craig Revel Horwood is far more than just a sharp-tongued judge earning a crust on TV’s Strictly Come Dancing.

He’s a gifted director and choreographer who can take a problematic musical and turn it into something special.

The original movie is remembered mostly as a comedy, but while this stage version has laughs, it focuses more on character and emotion.

We see nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier, desperately seeking fame, forced to hide in a convent after witnessing her boyfriend murder a snitch.. Unsurprisingly Deloris clashes with the Mother Superior and bonds with the hilarious quirky band of nuns, but there are funny and heartfelt moments along the way.

The songs aren’t always the most memorably tuneful in musical theatre but Revel Horwood stages them with imagination and drama.

Both acts finish with rousing, spine-tingling anthems, and the second act is a non-stop succession of inspired numbers.

• Until Saturday. Visit bradford-theatres.co.uk or call 01274 432000 to book tickets.

DAVID KNIGHTS