I HAD the pleasure of attending a sold-out performance of Sister Act at Wyedean School, by Perform Chepstow, Cast A - and I loved every minute.

From the moment the audience entered the room, it was evident the evening was going to be full of high energy and lively entertainment, and it certainly was.

Sister Act is set in the 1970s in Philadelphia; the musical follows lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier as she hides in a convent from her boyfriend Curtis Jackson who she witnessed committing a crime. The story unveils the beauty of friendship and courage, which is evidently shown in this performance.

I thought comedy was a strong highlight throughout. Mary Lazarus, played by Hannah Stait brought infectious humour to the stage. One memorable moment being when she was wearing a glittery cap and sunglasses, perfectly representing the vibrancy her character brings. The bar scene, where Curtis and his gang mistake Deloris for a female impersonator was another humorous moment which had the audience in laughter.

Throughout the show I recognised strong character development, Sister Mary Robert played by Megan Davies delivered an inspiring transformation. Early on in the show she is seen holding onto a book tightly, demonstrating this through closed body language. Her confidence shines later in the show and it was clearly demonstrated when she made use of centre stage and stood on higher levels in later scenes.

I thought Hannah Creber who played Deloris, was a strong lead as she had controlled vocals, very expressive facial expressions, and demonstrated confidence through making use of the stage.

I found the set design, in particular the church windows, created an immersive atmosphere. Seeing subtle transitions of cool blue lighting to a warm amber tone, in my interpretation, reflected a sense of growing unity between the nuns as the show progressed.

I found there was very creative staging in the show, one of my favourite moments was during the news scene, there were flickering lights in the wings, which mimicked a television screen - I thought it was a clever idea.