Best Musical Bar ‘Nun’ Comes To Newcastle Theatre Royal
Sister Act
Newcastle Theatre Royal
Monday 19 – Saturday 24 June 2023
Brace yourselves sisters! The heavenly smash-hit musical Sister Act heads to Newcastle Theatre Royal during June 2023.
We
caught up with TV favourite Lesley Joseph (Birds
of a Feather) who plays Mother Superior alongside Sandra Marvin (Emmerdale, Waitress) who plays Deloris
Van Cartier and West End sensation Lizzie Bea (Heathers The Musical, Hairspray) as Sister Mary Robert to find out
more about this sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship,
sisterhood and music.
You’re well known to many as Dorien Green from Birds of a Feather alongside your stage
work, which includes an Olivier-nomination for Young Frankenstein. What are the key differences between the
disciplines of stage and screen, and do you have a preference?
If
you asked me why I came into the business, it would be because I love theatre.
I went to drama school in the 60s, and it was a very different world then. I
grew up doing theatre and started first when I was seven. Theatre was always
what I was destined to do and then gradually television took over. Birds of a Feather came along in 1989
and has never been off since! I love television, I love the opportunities
television brings, but if I had to choose it would be theatre because I love
the connection with the audience. With television can always do it again,
whereas with theatre it’s a question of doing it that night and that’s your one
chance.
I think theatre is where my heart is. I love the atmosphere and the family you
build. I love to stand in the wings and watch other people work. I also love
what theatre can do to an audience. Live theatre can change people’s lives.
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| In Rehearsal. Lesley Joseph 'Sister Lazarus'. |
Sister
Act is a much-loved movie as well as a musical. Were you aware
of the show before joining?
I
saw Craig Revel Horwood’s Sister Act
revival with Alexandra Burke, so I was very aware of the show before I joined.
The musical doesn’t have the music from the film, but it’s Alan Menken’s music
- who is a genius. He’s been to see our show twice and loved it! I think people
love the production because of the great music, and it’s very much an audience
show. You leave feeling so uplifted. We were playing in London to 3,000 people
per night, with every show packed full of people waving their arms in the air
at the end and just having a fantastic time.
Can you briefly summarise the plot (without spoilers), and
tell us about your character, Mother Superior?
Well,
Deloris Van Cartier witnesses her boyfriend shoot someone and gets put into
hiding in a convent. Mother Superior who runs the convent is a very religious
person, and suddenly into her world comes this woman who is a singer, who wears
short skirts, who’s full of bling and very over the top. It’s about how these two
worlds combine and ultimately rub off on each other.
Mother Superior is quite strict and holy. She provides the juxtaposition of
strict religious beliefs against this entirely over the top being, which is
Deloris Van Cartier. You need the two extremes to rub up against one another,
and quite a lot of sparks fly.
You appeared on Pilgrimage:
The Road to Rome and met the Pope, what was that like and were there any
elements of that experience that you’ve drawn on when playing Mother
Superior?
Funnily
enough whenever I’m in the show I do always think of this moment. I had half an
hour with the Pope and I blessed him and made him laugh, and he gave me a medal
to celebrate his six years in the papacy. I’ve always had a spirituality about
me. I love going in churches. Whenever I go into a church I will always light a
candle for both of my parents and Linda Robson’s mum, and say a quiet prayer.
That’s a spiritual thing more than an actual religious thing. I always find
churches very healing in a way. It’s a place to sit, contemplate and meditate,
and you can come out feeling a slightly better person.
I
think the soundtrack is amazing. I must say, the audience responses so far have
made me feel like we’re doing a pop concert. My favourite song is one that
Mother Superior has called ‘Here Within These Walls’ where she describes what
life is like in the convent, and how the outside world is full of sin, but
inside you find God and you find yourself. It’s a beautiful number, but
probably the most serious number in the show to an extent. The other number I
love is when Deloris first takes over the choir and she teaches them to sing
and brings out their voices. It’s called ‘Raise Your Voice’. The audience just
go wild. Up until then you’ve only heard the nuns sing very badly. It stops the
show!
What do you hope audiences take away from this new
production?
I
think audiences will take away a reinvigorated love for live theatre. It’s a
production that also says something about community, and that’s one thing that
the lockdown showed us was important – caring about your neighbours, caring
about your friends, and helping those in need.
It’s an absolutely joyous musical! To see the audiences at the end, where they
stand waving their arms and singing along, they rediscover the joy of theatre.
Is there a piece of advice you’ve received or that you
would pass on to anyone hoping to go into the creative industry?
I
don’t know if you remember a man called Quentin Crisp, he was very flamboyant
and wonderful, and way before his time. He was avant-garde and he was an
amazing character. He always used to call me ‘Miss Joseph’. His piece of advice
was, ‘Miss Joseph, believe in fate, but lean forward where fate can see you’. I
think that’s one of the best pieces of advice I could give to anybody.
Photos: Manuel Harlan
Tickets:
Sister Act plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 19 – Saturday 24 June 2023. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.
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