Shoppers in Wolverhampton stopped to stare as a group of nuns –  some of them oddly masculine – headed out for a walking tour of the city centre.

Stopping by the Grand Theatre and strolling through the streets, the nuns on the run caused quite a stir among the Saturday crowds.

But these were no ordinary women of the cloth – the group were members of the Grand’s staff, who donned the habits to show it would be a sin to miss the latest show to hit the stage, Sister Act.

About 20 fun-loving theatre workers toured the city, complete with a fairground-style cut-out in which members of the public could see how they measured up to the challenge of disguising themselves in the style of Whoopi Goldberg.

Shopper Alice Turner, aged 26, from Stourbridge, said: “I’ve never seen anything like it – it was quite a surprise to see them coming down the street towards us. Some of the men looked really funny. I think it’s a good idea – it definitely gets the message across.”

Sister Act is the stage version of the popular 1992 film in which actress Goldberg played a woman on witness protection who is hidden in a convent after witnessing a murder.

Grand Theatre marketing manager Iain Watkins said today: “It wowed Broadway and is a divine comedy. So we thought it would be fun to help put a smile on the faces of shoppers and get everybody excited about our forthcoming production.”

Starring former Corrie actress Denise Black and Brookside’s Michael Starke, Sister Act: The Habit Has Hit The Road will run at the Grand from February 7 until February 18. Ticket prices range from £18.50 to £42.50.