Spirits are soaring for a well-known local musical theatre group as they pray for a glorious return to the Macrobert Arts Centre stage.
Stirling and Bridge of Allan Operatic Society (SABOS) and their loyal fans were gutted when the pandemic forced them to cancel their production of Annie in spring 2020.
Undaunted, the society soldiered through lockdown, moving online with two successful virtual concerts.
As soon as in-person singing was permitted again, they reunited to belt out upbeat show songs and Christmas classics in December 2021 with their ‘Back in Business’ concerts.
Now the performers hope to raise the roof with ‘Nunsense: the Mega Musical Version’, a crazy musical farce set in a New York convent – a comic blend of heavenly joy and merry hell, boasting super-catchy songs, risqué humour and even tap dancing!
It achieved the second longest run of any show off Broadway and still enjoys a huge international following. Audiences can sing and cheer along as the nuns struggle to rid their freezer of something nasty – namely, four corpses who have fallen victim to a ‘last supper’ of lethal leek and potato.
Nunsense is directed by the hugely accomplished Andrew Nicol from the Dance School of Scotland who said: “The company is a fun-loving, talented group of people – it’s my privilege to work alongside them.”
New member Laura said: “What a lift it has given me – singing, dancing and laughing with new people.”
And Kath Schofield, who joined two years ago, describes the SABOS family as “congenial as a convent, if not quite so virtuous.”
Before lockdown, SABOS was also nurturing a thriving youth group. The cancellation of Annie disappointed many, but youth leader Dan Baxter is glad to announce a kids’ production is planned for early July; follow SABOS on Facebook and Instagram for details.
Nunsense: the Mega Musical Version is at the Macrobert Arts Centre on Wednesday, March 30, Thursday, March 31 (both 7.30pm) and Saturday, April 2 (2.30pm and 7.30pm). Tickets £16/£13 concession available on 01786 466666 or www.macrobertartscentre.org.
