Review: MARIE AND ROSETTA, @sohoplace

Photo credit: Johan Persson

The story of Rosetta Tharpe would have been lost in the history of Gospel music had it not been for a 2007 biography by Gayle l Wald and her posthumous induction into the Blues Hall of Fame. Thankfully, George Brant now brings the story to life in a joyous celebration of her music, brought to the gorgeous intimate @sohoplace by Jonathan Church and Chichester Festival Theatre, in a production first mounted at The Rose Theatre in Kingston.

Just as Rock and Roll Man at Salisbury Playhouse is bringing the stories of 50s musical influences to a modern-day audience and explaining the crossover from Gospel and Black music to a wider audience at a time when there was still racial segregation in the USA, it is a moving and powerful story. We hear that they have to have a white tour bus driver to go and get them food.

The premise is a reminisces of the first meeting of Rosetta with Marie Knight as she was selected from a backing quartet to play piano and duet with Rosetta in a tobacco warehouse. We see their relationship blossom, with Rosetta coaxing Marie to let loose on piano and vocals to form a glorious partnership that would last just three years.

Beverley Knight is astonishing as Rosetta, the confident southern American songstress born of cotton picker parents brought up in a Pentecostal family and from an early age singing in an evangelical singing group to become a musical influence in the late 40s and early 50s. She played with jazz stars Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Count Basie and Chris Barber. Knight’s sassy soaring voice and well-maintained southern drawl transports us to that period. Rosetta was voted Rolling Stone magazine’s sixth best guitarist of all time in 2023. Sadly, we do not hear her play with Shirley Tetteh providing the accompaniment to her fabulous voice.

Similarly, Ntombizodwa Ndlovu’s portrayal of Marie is touching and nuanced as she gradually lets her musical abilities out from behind a shy, religious, god fearing upbringing. She too “dances”. The piano accompanied by Mia Odele is a simple elegant solution to presenting the music but it is utterly charming and moving to see their relationship develop and blossom. Although it is a somewhat rushed recap of their lives after that first rehearsal until Rosetta’s death, it is impossible to not be moved by the Gospel Rock songs they deliver as they rehearse for the concert and define their playlist. ‘This Train’ (first recorded in 1922), ‘Didn’t It Rain’ (a1919 spiritual about Noah’s flood), ‘I Want a Tall Skinny Papa’ (a 1942 raunchy Blues song), and ‘Up Above my Head’ (a 1947 recording by them) are glorious soaring renditions, full of energy, and living up to the billing about her for “her expressive variation, the flexibility of her phrasing, and mastery of vibrato.”

Director Monique Touko, along with movement director Kloe Dean, intimacy director Bethan Clark, associate director Jordi M Carter, and voice and dialect coach Joel Trill, combine to use the in-the-round space well, so we see their small reactions to one another, feel their passion for the music and sense their growing respect and love for each other. It feels authentic and real; we are in the room with them as they rehearse their songs and each sustained burst of applause feels natural and earned.

We wanted to learn more about the artistes’ lives, who they influenced and understand how she earned the “sixth best” accolade but the two performances are electric, and it is simply a joy to see two artistes at the top of their game in a fitting tribute to forgotten pioneers.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Nick Wayne

Marie and Rosetta plays at London’s @sohoplace until 11 April, with further info here.