Nunsense blesses audiences with witty humour galore at Metro Theatre, February 27 to March 21

Musical comedy by Dan Goggin stars five nuns on a money-making mission

Metro Theatre presents Nunsense from February 27 to March 21

WHEN NUNSENSE PREMIERED on December 12, 1985, at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City, it was an instant hit. It eventually moved to the now-defunct Douglas Fairbanks Theatre, and ran for a whopping 3,672 performances over the course of a decade—cementing it as the second-longest-running off-Broadway show in history.

And to think, it’s all based on a line of popular greeting cards started by playwright-composer Dan Goggin that featured images of nuns accompanied by witty one-liners (such as a nun flushing the toilet with the phrase “Holy shit—it’s your birthday” inside). The resulting play takes that humour and amplifies it to the max. Five nuns in the Little Sisters of Hoboken convent are forced to scrape together an emergency fundraiser when a cooking accident puts them in financial peril. Cue the riotous musical numbers, playful tap-dancing, and vulgar puppets as the women give it their all to rake in the dough with a zany variety show.

Metro Theatre is putting on Nunsense here in Vancouver from February 27 to March 21, with Jenn Suratos, Mary Cleaver, Meghan Anderssen, Paula Higgins, and Jaclyn Sim starring as the five nuns. It may not be running for 10 years straight—so catch it while you can—but it’ll certainly feature the signature brand of humour the production is known and loved for.

Stick around after the performances on March 6 and 15 for audience talk-backs with director Shel Piercy.

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Emily Lyth

Emily Lyth is a Vancouver-based writer and editor who graduated from Langara College’s Journalism program. Her decade of dance training and passion for all things food-related are the foundation of her love for telling arts, culture, and community stories.

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