Who knew that nuns could be so much fun? Bangkok Community Theatre's latest offering, Nunsense, will make sure that you see nuns in a new light and a divine one at that.
Nichola Frances as Sister Hubert, Bonnie Zellerbach as Sister Robert Anne and Noni Upanisakorn as Sister Mary Leo. PHOTOS: JUSTIN BROOKS
Nunsense is a madcap musical about five nuns and their efforts to put on a show to raise money to bury four of their fellow sisters who are currently in cold storage in the convent freezer. It seems that the convent cook, Sister Julia-Child-of-God, accidentally killed 52 fellow sisters with a bad batch of vichyssoise while the others were off playing bingo. Apparently the convent sisters have already buried 48 of their sisterhood but lack the funds to bury the remaining four. That is the set-up and the cast of five sisters take it from there.
Nunsense had a 10-year run off-Broadway (earning four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Musical) before finding itself the musical of choice for every regional and community theatre in North America not to mention six funny nunny sequels. But the Nunsense appeal extends far beyond the United States as evidenced by its translation into 21 languages and more than 5,000 productions staged worldwide.
The international appeal of Nunsense is testament to the heart and soul of the production which speaks to audience members of all ages and faiths. While the characters are indeed nuns and the locale is a convent, the musical is not about religion; it is about the hopes and dreams of five very distinct and lovable characters.
Hannah Watson as Sister Mary Amnesia, Louise Truslow as Sister Mary Regina, Nichola Frances as Sister Hubert and Noni Upanisakorn as Sister Mary Leo —the sisters see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
The show that the sisters put on features talents from their pre-convent lives and includes a circus performer nun, a streetwise nun from Brooklyn, a wannabe-ballerina nun and a nun with amnesia who has a penchant for country and western music. The script requires high-energy, versatile entertainers and the local BCT cast does it credit.
BCT regular Louise Truslow leads her fellow sisters in the role of the Mother Superior, Sister Mary Regina. She is adeptly aided by her second-in-command, Sister Mary Hubert, played by Nichola Frances, who was last seen stealing scenes as Mrs Pearce in BCT's September production of Pygmalion. Another BCT regular, Bonnie Zellerbach, plays the wisecracking Sister Robert Anne, and talented newcomers Hannah Watson and Noni Upanisakorn play aspiring country and western singer Sister Mary Amnesia and the fleet of foot Sister Mary Leo respectively to round out the five.
BCT's local production is the brainchild of director Michael Allman, who audiences will remember as the fan-wielding senator in BCT's 2010 production of Lysistrata. Allman is one-third of a production team which includes long-term Bangkok residents Larry Ryan and Tony Newman as choreographer and music director respectively. Together, these three bring a wealth of creative knowledge to Nunsense ensuring that the audience will have a heavenly experience at the theatre.
When asked why he chose to stage Nunsense, Allman said, "Nunsense is a joy-filled musical. All of the characters are based on real-life nuns and it is obvious the author had great affection for them. It is also a joy to work with five such talented and capable women. They are simply going to amaze the audience. The musical will make you smile from start to finish.
"And I agree with another reviewer who said: 'If laughter can cure all ills, the Nunsense shows will make doctors obsolete.' We are only here to make people laugh, to make them forget their troubles for a while and maybe feel a little better on the way out than they did on the way in," he said.
