West End premiere of MARIE AND ROSETTA to open at @sohoplace
Photo credit: Seamus Ryan
It has been announced that the the West End premiere of the Rose Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and ETT critically acclaimed production of Marie and Rosetta, written by George Brant, and directed by Monique Touko, will play at @sohoplace from 28 February-11 April 2026.
Reprising their roles are multi-award winning singer and actress Beverley Knight as Rosetta Tharpe and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Royal Exchange) making her West End debut as Marie Knight.
Beverley Knight said: “Sister Rosetta Tharpe and her legacy had long been overlooked in music history. She deserves her place as one of the architects of rock ‘n’ roll, a Gospel singing, guitar shredding heroine who helped to shape popular music as we know it today. I’m so proud that we get to tell her story and that of her co collaborator Marie Knight played by the incredibly talented Ntombizodwa Ndlovu who makes her debut in the West End. She is a star in the making!”
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the roof-raising ‘godmother of rock ‘n’ roll’, influenced countless musicians from Elvis to Johnny Cash. This sparkling, intimate portrait of Rosetta and her beloved singing partner, Marie Knight, restores these forgotten musical heroines to the spotlight as one of the most remarkable and revolutionary duos in music history.
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…
Featuring a wealth of joyous rock and gospel hits including ‘Didn’t It Rain’ and ‘Peace in the Valley’, the show will feature live musicians accompanying Olivier Award-winning West End star Beverley Knight as Rosetta Tharpe.
The creative team joining Touko includes costume designer Jodie-Simone Howe, movement director Kloé Dean, sound designer Tony Gayle, intimacy director Bethan Clark, voice and dialect coach Joel Trill (Voice & Dialect Coach), and musical director Shirley Teteh.
Nica Burns said: “Two amazing actresses with spine tingling voices close up in the intimate auditorium of @sohoplace! Singing some of the greatest rock and roll songs, Beverley Knight and newcomer Ntombizodwa Ndolovu will give us performances to remember as their voices soar and thrill. Brilliant on their own and sensational together. It is only a 7 week season so book speedily as you really do not want to miss out.”
