Nunsensations production is chance to stage a favourite writer's comedy
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On Wednesday, the musical comedy Nunsensations opens at the North Kessock Village Hall.
Based on the original concept Nunsense, this show – following on from an earlier production of Nunsense – is the choice of producer Alan Mackintosh – well-known as a musical director for Inverness Musical Theatre productions such as Legally Blonde and Hello Dolly. A fan of the creator of the Nunsense brand of shows, he talks about staging Dan Goggins’ show, this time taking the nuns to Vegas ...
Q When did you first see a production of Nunsense, starting your interest in the play and the writer. What was it about the show that made you want to stage it yourself?
A I first saw a YouTube clip of the original show – Nunsense. There’s something about five nuns on stage trying to be show girls that just captured my imagination. It’s such a funny concept. Back when I was producing that first version, it also appealed to me from a commercial perspective – minimal set, minimal costumes, small cast. Win, win, win!
Q Why did you choose Nunsensations?
A There are so many other shows within the Nunsense brand to chose from, but I’m a sucker for glitz and glamour in musicals. I only produce musicals that I would want to go and watch myself. When I was listening to the music and reading the scripts, the idea of these five sisters going to Sin City and performing there made me laugh. It’s an ensemble piece at heart as well, everyone gets their turn on stage. It’s farcical in the way it’s joke after joke, somewhere in there is a tiny bit of plot, but the show has been written as pure escapism and light entertainment.
Q Was it difficult finding your perfect cast?
A We have a cast of five of the best local ladies – Caroline MacPherson, Zoe McIntyre, Sian Noble, Ashley Mackintosh and Alison Ozog. I’ve worked with all of them before on other productions, so myself and Claire Fisher the director and Fiona Stuart the musical director chatted through the various characters and who we thought would best suit each role out of everyone we know. Your eagle-eyed readers will spot Caroline was in the first one [Nunsense], in a different role. Having seen how her comedic timing captured the audience, we knew we wanted to move her into the Rev Mother role to capitalise on that as much as possible.
Q It’s on at North Kessock Village Hall – how come?
A Inverness has a real lack of performing spaces, particularly affordable ones at the small-mid scale. Many of the venues now looked after by arms-length public bodies have raised their prices to unaffordable levels and refuse activities after a certain time of night, and the result is spaces with excellent facilities and capacity – sitting empty. It’s frustrating to see this happen, particularly after the closure of the Ironworks. The North Kessock Village Hall was a bit of a fluke, a conversation with a friend who knew someone, who knew someone else that was on the committee. It turns out they are wanting to increase their event/gig portfolio and it seemed like a match made in heaven. They are a fantastic forward-thinking community organisation.
Q Why do you think Nunsensations is perfect for these times?
A It’s pure comedy escapism, if you’re looking for an intricate plot... this isn’t the show for you! Everyone needs some time to switch off from that daily stress, and what could be better than five nuns singing, dancing and gambling their convent money in Vegas?!
Q This might seem a bit previous, but have you plans for other shows?
A Yes, I’ve a new children’s musical called Misty’s Magical Adventure coming to Eden Court in the October holidays plus a big musical and a heart-wrenching play for 2024!
Nunsensations is on from Wednesday, July 5-Saturday, July 8 at 7.30pm (plus 2.30pm on Saturday) at North Kessock Village Hall. Tickets:
