Sister Act: The Musical

There is always a moment after a school production closes when someone asks the question: “Was all of that work really worth it for just four performances?”

After months of rehearsals, costume fittings, choreography sessions, line runs, set building, marketing, lighting plots, prop lists, music rehearsals, late nights, weekends, holidays, and endless problem-solving, the performances themselves seem to disappear in the blink of an eye. “Sister Act the Musical” ran for only four nights (with one day show for the Operations Staff) — approximately twelve hours of performance time in total — yet the journey began in September last year.

And the answer is simple: yes. Every single second was worth it. Because school theatre is never really about the final performance. It is about the transformation that happens long before the curtain rises.

It is about the quiet student whose teacher watches them step onto a stage and sing, dance, and act with a confidence they didn’t know she possessed. It is about the parent sitting in the audience with tears in their eyes because they have never before seen their child shine in quite this way. Drama teachers become so accustomed to witnessing these transformations that we sometimes forget how extraordinary they appear to everyone else. We see the gradual growth happen week by week. We watch confidence build rehearsal by rehearsal. We witness friendships form, resilience develop, and young people discover parts of themselves they did not know existed.

For the audience, those moments feel magical. For us, they are the result of months of trust, discipline, vulnerability, courage, and hard work.

Producing and directing Sister Act was one of the most exhausting and rewarding experiences of my career. Beyond directing over 110 hours of rehearsals, producing this musical involved countless unseen responsibilities — budgeting, loading invoices, coordinating rehearsal schedules, managing ticket sales, organising and mending costumes, set construction and dressing, lighting design, sound cues, food sales, providing the information for the programme, and ensuring every aspect of the production from Front of House to Backstage ran smoothly. And when the final standing ovation ended, the work did not stop. The very next morning involved cleaning the space, collecting costumes for washing, and preparing to strike the set.

There is a joke in theatre circles that directors struggle to delegate. I am certainly guilty of that. But the truth is that when you become deeply invested in something this special, it consumes you in the best possible way. Passion drives you to keep refining, fixing, adjusting, and improving because you want audiences to experience something unforgettable.

And judging by the laughter, tears, spontaneous standing ovations at the end of the show, and overwhelming support each night, our audiences did.

What makes “Sister Act” particularly meaningful as a girls’ school production is that its message extends beyond the stage itself. At its heart, the musical is a story about sisterhood, belonging, and women uplifting one another — values that resonate deeply within our school environment. Those themes were not only performed under stage lights; they were lived backstage every day throughout the rehearsal process.

One parent shared something with me that perfectly captured why theatre matters so deeply: that this production gave their daughter a place of belonging when she had been struggling to find one. There can be few greater privileges as an educator than watching a young person discover that they are seen, valued, needed, and celebrated within a community. Theatre creates those spaces. It creates a connection. It reminds students that they do not have to stand alone.

Equally inspiring was the collaboration between our students and the boys from the Boys’ College. We witnessed young men and women working together with kindness, professionalism, friendship, and mutual respect. In a country where conversations around gender-based violence and division can feel overwhelming, there was something profoundly hopeful in watching young people build healthy, respectful relationships through the arts. That is the power of Drama.

Drama teaches far more than performance skills. It teaches empathy, discipline, teamwork, emotional intelligence, confidence, resilience, creativity, communication, and compassion. It creates spaces where students can safely take risks, discover their voices, and learn how to support one another. It gives students a place to belong.

And while audiences may only see a production for a few short hours, the impact on the young people involved lasts far longer.

Long after the final bows, after the costumes are packed away and the set is dismantled, what remains are the memories, the growth, the friendships, the confidence, and the belief in themselves that these students will carry into the future.

That is why we do it. Every rehearsal. Every late night. Every challenge. Every moment.

Because theatre changes lives.

Photo Credit: Sam Nupen 

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