Preview: Sister Act at Newcastle Theatre Royal

SISTER ACT SET TO TAKE NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL BY STORM

Sister Act

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Monday 19^th - Saturday 24^thJune 2017

Alexandra Burke will make a triumphant return to Newcastle Theatre Royal when she stars as ‘‘Deloris Van Cartier’ in the divine musical comedy Sister Act in June.

Alexandra wowed Theatre Royal audiences as ‘Rachel Marron’ in the smash hit The Bodyguard in 2015 and is joined in the all new critically acclaimed production by Joanna Francis as ‘Michelle’, Jon Robyns as ‘Eddie’, Karen Mann as ‘Mother Superior’ and Rosemary Ashe as ‘Sister Mary Lazarus’.

Directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood – best known as a judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing-  Sister Act is based on the smash hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith and tells the hilarious story of Deloris Van Cartier, a disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. Under protective custody and disguised as a nun Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.

Alexandra Burke originally rose to fame after winning the fifth series of The X Factor. Her debut number one single Hallelujah sold over one million copies in the UK, a first for a British female soloist.

She is to perform the role of ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ at all evening performances.  At the matinee performances, the role of ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ will be played by Joanna Francis.

Joanna Francis has recently finished performing in the West End production of The Lion King. Her other credits include Carmen Jones at the Royal Festival Hall, The Harder They Come at the Barbican and Stratford East and as ‘Sybil’ in The Big Life at the Apollo Theatre.

Jon Robyns’ West End and theatre credits include Avenue Q, Les Miserables, Spamalot, Memphis, Road Show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang most recently Legally Blonde. 

Karen Mann’s extensive theatre credits include Fiddler on the Roof, the national tour of I Dreamed A Dream – the Susan Boyle Story, Copacabana, Martin Guerre, Spend, Spend, Spend and most recently The Witches.

Rosemary Ashe’s many West End credits include The Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins and The Witches of Eastwick.   Her other theatre credits include When We Are Married, Oliver! and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 and ¾.  She has also appeared at Newcastle Theatre Royal in Jack and the Beanstalk.

Aaron Lee Lambert will play ‘Curtis’, Sarah Goggin ‘Sister Mary Robert’, Susannah Van Den Berg ‘Sister Mary Patrick’, Allison Harding ‘Sister Mary Theresa’, Ricky Rojas ‘Pablo’, Samuel Morgan-Grahame as ‘Joey’ and Sandy Grigelis as ‘TJ’. The company also includes Nicola Bryan, Jennifer Douglas, Aiesha Pease, Sally Peerless and Justin Wilman. 

This all new production of Sister Act is directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood with musical supervision and arrangements by Tony Award-Winner Sarah Travis.   Probably best known as a judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, Craig Revel Horwood was most recently seen at Newcastle Theatre Royal as Miss Hannigan in the national tour of Annie.  Set and costume design is by Matthew Wright, with lighting design by Richard G Jones and sound design by Richard Brooker.

Sister Act has music by the 8-time Oscar and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, with a book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner and additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane. Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture Sister Act written by Jacob Howard.

Tickets: 

Sister Act plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 19th - Saturday 24th June 2017.  Tickets are from £19.50 and can be purchased atwww.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).