Producers Jamie Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg have announced extra dates for Jennifer Saunders’ eagerly-anticipated musical theatre debut in the rescheduled UK tour of the new version of Sister Act The Musical.
As previously announced the British comedy favourite who was due to play Mother Superior opposite Goldberg’s Deloris Van Cartier at London’s Eventim Apollo in the summer will now star in London from 20 July until 29 August 2021.
Saunders will also play Mother Superior at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (7-11 September 2021), the Manchester Palace Theatre (27 September-9 October 2021), the Birmingham Hippodrome (2-13 November 2021) and the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (22-27 November 2021).
Stage and TV favourite Lesley Joseph will step into the role at Leicester Curve from 13-25 September 2021, and the Birds of a Feather star whose recent musical theatre credits include touring productions of Annie and Calendar Girls will return to the role at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford (10-15 January 2022), followed by the Millennium Forum in Derry (7-12 February 2022) and Nottingham Theatre Royal (28 March- 2 April 2022).
Brenda Edwards (We Will Rock You, Dominion Theatre and UK tour, Chicago, West End and 10th Anniversary Gala) will play Deloris opposite both Joseph and Saunders during the UK and Ireland tour with Clive Rowe (Guys and Dolls, National Theatre, Me and My Girl, Chichester Festival Theatre) joining the cast to play Eddie Souther for selected dates.
Due to launch at Curve, Leicester from 21 April until 2 May, the production is will visit Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin, Cardiff, Ipswich, Stoke, Darlington, Liverpool, Nottingham and Milton Keynes.
Multi award-winning US star Goldberg plays Deloris, the irrepressible character she created on screen in two hit movies, for the first time on stage at London’s Eventim Apollo next summer.
The production is directed by Bill Buckhurst with choreography by Alistair David, set design by Morgan Large, lighting design by Tim Mitchell, sound design by Tom Marshall and musical supervision by Stephen Brooker. Casting is by Stuart Burt. Sister Act The Musical is produced by Jamie Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg and the long-time head of Goldberg’s production company, Tom Leonardis.
Based on the hit 1990s film featuring Goldberg, Maggie Smith and Harvey Keitel, Sister Act features original music by multi-award-winner Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. The book is by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane.
After premiering in California in 2006, the musical opened at the London Palladium in 2009 with American newcomer Patina Miller starring as Deloris alongside veteran British actors, Sheila Hancock and Ian Lavender. During the show’s West End run, Goldberg briefly joined the cast to play Mother Superior before a family emergency forced her to leave the show. Former Emmerdale star Sally Dexter stepped in until Goldberg returned for five performances towards the end of the run.
Angela Thomas
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