Sisters prepare to take the stage

Rehearsals for Alnwick Stage Musical Society's Sister Act. Picture by Michael Pearson.

There are only about 400 tickets left across the whole run of Sister Act: The Musical, which runs from Wednesday, March 16, to Sunday, March 20, at the Alnwick Playhouse.

The Friday and Saturday evening performances have already sold out with only a handful of tickets left for the Wednesday and Thursday nights.

The show’s director, Michael Pearson, said: “We’re really privileged that we have such a loving community that gets behind the Alnwick Playhouse and the great variety of amateur and professional productions that come to the building.

“We knew that Sister Act would be a popular choice with the community but everyone in the town has been talking about this production and that has been reflected in the ticket sales.

“It was obvious that the Friday and Saturday nights would sell out fast but we didn’t expect that the Wednesday and Thursday would do as well so quickly.

“But there’s still plenty of tickets for our Saturday and Sunday matinee performances, but don’t leave it too late.”

The sell-out is doubly welcome as the amateur dramatics society is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

The group was formed in October, 1986, by solicitor Norman Luke and civil servant Paul Toward. The pair went on to perform in the group’s first production, The Sound of Music in March, 1987.

Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength and performed musicals including Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!; The Pirates of Penzance; Kiss Me, Kate; Fiddler on the Roof; and many more.

Sister Act: The Musical – written by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, Douglas Carter Beane, Glenn Slater and Alan Menken – is set to be one of the biggest the society has ever produced.

Group members have been rehearsing since September, and there are lots of new faces behind the scenes.

Michael Pearson and Eglingham farmer Ali Wrangham will be making their directorial debuts with Miss Georgia Robinson, of Alnwick’s GL Dance school choreographing the show.

Ali Wrangham added: “We have around 30 nuns, and each one of them brings something new to the production. I’m quietly confident that this will be one of the greatest productions we’ve ever put on.”