Caroline McDonnell (left) and Valerie Dragojevic in Hail Mary 2: The Haunting.
Camera IconCaroline McDonnell (left) and Valerie Dragojevic in Hail Mary 2: The Haunting. Credit: Supplied/John Spurling

Joondalup resident back in the habit in Hail Mary 2: The Haunting

Tyler BrownJoondalup Times

JOONDALUP resident Caroline McDonnnell is back in the habit this month when she reprises her role as Sister Abbott and finds the previous high spirits of her fellow nuns are dashed by a troublesome ghost.

Written and directed by Noel O’Neill, Hail Mary 2: The Haunting follows the convent of Our Lady of the Vines, which is again under threat of closure.

The nuns rally to try cast out the devil that plagues them and their efforts lead to hilarious consequences.

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“Sister Abbott is an Irish nun who has spent her entire life wondering if the grass is indeed greener on the other side,” McDonnell said.

“As a result, she spends a large proportion of her time fantasising about any number of things a life outside the convent would be like.

“She is high-spirited, witty and enjoys a drink or two; she’s not afraid to speak her mind and keen to point out the elephant in the room.”

McDonnnell’s appearance in the first Hail Mary scored her acting awards and nominations at the annual Finley and Milly Awards.

“Not being a part of the sequel was never a consideration for me,” she said.

“The success of Hail Mary was overwhelming and surprised us all. The cast really had the best time working together throughout the entire process.”

O’Neill said the biggest challenge in any sequel was to try to make it funnier than the original.

“The new ideas come from what an audience can associate itself with,” he said.

“In the first Hail Mary, I wanted to show the comical side of how nuns might behave among themselves; we had real nuns in the audience who thought it was very funny.

“As for it being a sequel, I think people can watch the play easily without any prior knowledge simply because of the circumstances.”

THE ESSENTIALS

What: Hail Mary 2: The Haunting

When: 8pm, August 17-20, 24-27 and 2pm, August 20, 21, 28

Where: Old Mill Theatre, South Perth

Tickets: $27 or $22 concession at www.trybooking.com/LOBK or on 9367 8719