Nuns take flight
Life at the convent, as portrayed in Nunsense, is nothing but riotous.
NUNS, especially the ones from Balakong ( in Selangor), can be religious yet uproarious.
That’s the premise behind Nunsense, currently showing at PJ Live Arts in Petaling Jaya. Last Wednesday it hit the stage again – armed with a local twist. The musical, which premiered off- Broadway in 1985, made its Malaysian debut at The Actors Studio in Kuala Lumpur in 2001.
Despite the morbid nature of the the story created by American composer Dan Goggin, the Nunsense performance itself is loaded with intoxicating hilarity and big- hearted music.
The Sisters of Balakong, originally founded as a missionary order, started out running a leper colony until there were no more lepers left.
As the story continues, the nuns suffer a tragic loss – 52 drop dead – after having their tom yam soup prepared by Sister Julia.
The surviving nuns now need to raise enough money to bury the dead sisters. They nearly get the job done. But at the last burial stretch, Mother Superior ( Shanthini Venugopal) succumbs to desire and buys an expensive TV for the convent.
In the convent’s freezer lie four more nuns who need to be buried soon. Now the Sisters of Balakong must put together a show to raise funds to finish the burial job before the health authorities discover the bodies and close the convent down.
On the PJ Live Arts stage last week, Shanthini, founder of The Jumping Jelly-Beans theatre company, reprised her role as the ever- resourceful Sister Mary Regina or Mother Superior in Nunsense. The cast is completed by Elvira Arul ( Sister Mary Hubert), Junji Delfino ( Sister Mary Amnesia), Nicole- Ann Thomas ( Sister Robert Anne) and Teresa Goh ( Sister Mary Leo).
These five ladies possess vocal and comic talents that run the gamut. Individually, they might be a tad unevenly matched, but together they put in a fine shift of comedy and thrills. Such is their connection. Shanthini, perhaps the most winsome of the characters, is a delight to watch, especially in the glue- sniffing scene. Delfino’s deadpan face is so convincing. She plays the amnesiac role well. Even when she interacts with the audience, it is enough to draw the chuckles. Elsewhere, Goh is endearing in her portrayal of a novice nun who never made it as a ballerina. Lost dreams and all that!
The highly- strung Thomas is the one with the interesting expressions but she speaks too fast – at times. As a result, the audience misses some of the punchlines. Slow down, gal.
Well, Nunsense isn’t complete without a song and dance routine. Leading everyone in a tap number is Elvira, who also belts out Holier Than Thou in the finale, showcasing her commanding voice. But alas, the tap sounds were drowned by the music and could hardly be heard.
As for the show’s flow, no moment was left idle, no joke unexamined, no harmony unsung and no plight not prayed for.
Despite the chaos in trying to organise a fundraiser, these five nuns are really a joy to watch. In short, you simply cannot not be entertained by Nunsense.
Nunsense is playing at PJ Live Arts, Jaya One, Block K, 72A Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya, Selangor from now till July 24 and Aug 3- 7. Shows are at 8.30pm ( Wednesday to Saturday) and 3pm ( Sunday). It will also have a Penang run at the Performing Arts Centre Of Penang from July 27- 31. Tickets start at RM88. Call 03- 7960 0439 / 017- 228 9849 or visit www. tix. my ( Petaling Jaya) or 04- 899 1722 / www. ticketpro. com. my ( Penang).