Theatre fans should be singing the praises of a Farnham group when they unveil their first production of the decade next week.

Blessed be the Farnham Amateur Operatic Society (FAOS) as they will inherit the Maltings stage with their version of Sister Act.

The musical comedy comes from the FAOS creative team that presented highly successful productions of Spamalot and Fiddler on the Roof.

But the entertainers are also in the habit of giving as the five-night run includes a benefit night in support of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care.

Farnham’s oldest theatre company opted for Sister Act because it’s an amazing feel-good musical comedy that has audiences jumping to their feet.

The show based on the iconic Whoopi Goldberg film is a perfect pick-me-up from the January blues. There will be six shows altogether – five evening performances and a 2.30pm matinee – with the curtain rising and falling on January 21 and 25, respectively.

When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a gangland murder, she is placed into a witness protection programme in the one place the cops are sure she won’t be a found: a convent.

Disguised as a nun, the new arrival jazzes up the choir and turns them into 1970 disco-gospel superstars. But she finds herself at odds with an uptight Mother Superior before the gang finds out where she’s hiding.

“Why is this show such a hit?” asks FAOS stalwart, Nigel Morley.

“It’s because it teams up the writers of TV’s Cheers with eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken, the composer behind Disney’s Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, as well as the wonderful Little Shop of Horrors.

“Filled with powerful gospel and disco music, outrageous dancing and a truly moving story, we think Sister Act will leave audiences breathless.”

All shows will take place at 7.30pm except for a 2.30pm matinee on Saturday, January 25, while the benefit night for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice will take place on January 23.

The show will also feature a live band and is suitable for ages six and up.

Tickets are priced £12 to £17 with reductions for children and groups of ten people or more, from www.farnhammaltings.com or 01252 745444.

A pre-show meal can be booked in advance at the Riverside cafe with a main course costing £9.