
One wonders whether or not ‘doing a Sister Aloysius’ will be a new rite of passage for female performers, with Stella Gonet tackling the role that Meryl Street turned into an international phenomenon when Doubt was adapted into an Oscar nominated film back in 2007. Gonet certainly has the Sister down to a t – her jawline rigid, jutting forwards – as cutting and as sturdy as the character. Her physicality is hawkish, hands perpetually clasped to her waist while body leans forwards. Birdlike. While her emotional arc may feel a bit forced (the final lines almost seemed too easy a conclusion, given the huge swathe of complexity that came beforehand), it’s hard to fault Gonet in her physical form – it’s just a shame the production around her (save from a masterful one-scene turn from Martin) failed to rise to the occasion with the same accomplishment.

Join the discussion