The Rose Theatre in London, Chichester Festival Theatre and ETT (English Touring Theatre) have announced the UK premiere of George Brant’s critically acclaimed play Marie and Rosetta starring Beverley Knight.
Marie and Rosetta is billed as a roof-raising play with music featuring gospel and blues hits, that tells the true story of American singer and songwriter, and the godmother of rock ’n’ roll, Rosetta Tharpe, and her protégé Marie Knight.
Directed by Monique Touko (The Boy at the Back of the Class; School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), Marie and Rosetta stars multi award-winning singer and actor Beverley Knight (Memphis, The Drifters Girl, Sylvia, Sister Act) as Rosetta, making her drama debut.
The full cast and creative team for the show is to be announced.
Written by George Brant (Grounded, The Land of Oz), Marie and Rosetta runs at the Rose Theatre in Kingston London from 2 to 24 May 2025, and then Chichester Festival Theatre from 25 June to 26 July. Despite ETT’s involvement, there’s no current news about a UK tour.
Video Featurette: Beverley Knight talks about Marie & Rosetta
What They Said
Actor Beverley Knight said in a statement: “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 HERstory 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”.
Director Monique Touko said: “It is truly an honour to stage the UK premiere of Marie and Rosetta by George Brant. Returning to both Rose and Chichester with this needed and powerful story feels very timely. This play allows us to not only celebrate the incredible lives of two trailblazing Black female musicians, but to immerse ourselves in their world, blending song and spectacle to bring their legacy to life. We’ll zoom in on the moments of their lives, big and small, and amplify their voices—both literally and metaphorically. It’s a privilege and a responsibility to depict these women in their full glory, ensuring they receive the recognition they so deeply deserve for their monumental contributions to music and culture.”
Artistic Director of the Rose Theatre, Christopher Haydon, said: ”I have been passionate about Marie and Rosetta ever since I first read it eight years ago. Both women are icons who deserve far greater recognition than they have today. I knew immediately that Monique Touko was the right person to direct it – she brings such passion, style and integrity to everything she does. And there simply is no better performer in the country than Beverley Knight to bring the remarkable Rosetta Tharpe to life. This is a show that will delight and move anyone who sees it and I cannot wait to share it with our audience.”
Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Justin Audibert, said: “We are delighted to be co-producing this wonderful play, and welcoming the incomparable Beverley Knight and director Monique Touko to Chichester. It’s a joy to renew our relationship with Rose Theatre, with whom we’ve recently co-produced Headlong’s A View from the Bridge, and also hosted Monique’s superb production The Boy at the Back of the Class. We know that Chichester audiences will relish this remarkable story, and can’t wait to fill the Minerva Theatre with Beverley’s renditions of this glorious music.”
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