The play with music arrives in the UK in a co-production between Rose Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and ETT.
It has been confirmed that Marie and Rosetta will run at the Rose Theatre in Kingston from the 2nd to the 24th May, before heading to the Chichester Festival Theatre from the 25th June until the 26th July.
Directed by Monique Touko (The Boy at the Back of the Class; School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), the play is set to star Beverley Knight as Rosetta, who will be making her professional play debut in the production.
Mississippi, 1946. Sister Rosetta has changed the face of gospel music with her exuberant, electric guitar-playing style. Shunned by straitlaced church folk for performing in nightclubs and glorying in rhythm and blues, she’s persuaded the saintly young singer Marie to join her on a tour of the segregated southern States. But first she has to convert Marie’s pure Sunday sound into something that has just a little more swing…
Talking about being part of the production, Beverley Knight said: “It is a great honour to be cast in the role of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the unsung architects of rock ‘n’ roll. I am and have always been a storyteller, whether it be in a purely music form or in a theatrical setting. I’m excited to be able to tell the Sister Rosetta story in this important play about her life, trailblazing career and her relationship with the legendary gospel singer Marie Knight. This will be my first role in a professional play; I have performed many times in plays at an amateur level and I’m so thrilled that I get to tell HER story as my debut. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, with her powerful expressive voice, her electrifying guitar and her Gospel message laid the foundations on which Chuck Berry, Ike Turner, Elvis Presley and literally everyone else has walked. The Godmother of rock ‘n’ roll deserves to be celebrated and remembered.”
Further casting and creative team have yet to be announced.
Rose Theatre priority booking opens for new and current Rose Circle and Members (Friends, Family, and 30 & Under) from Tuesday 14th January at 9.00am. Tickets will be available to general audiences from Monday 20th January at 10.00am via www.rosetheatre.org.
The Chichester Festival Theatre run will be part of Festival 2025, full details of which will be announced on 13 February (priority booking from Saturday 22 February, general booking from Saturday 1 March).