Jennifer Saunders, Beverley Knight, Keala Settle, Lesley Joseph, Clive Rowe and Lizzie Bea announced for SISTER ACT THE MUSICAL

Jennifer Saunders will star as ‘Mother Superior’ alongside Beverley Knight as ‘Deloris Van Cartier’, Keala Settle as ‘Sister Mary Patrick’, Lesley Joseph as ‘Sister Mary Lazarus’, Clive Rowe as ‘Eddie Souther’ and Lizzie Bea as ‘Sister Mary Robert’.

Producer Jamie Wilson said today "Hallelujah! We are thrilled to be finally sharing the news of this stellar cast and cannot thank audiences enough for their patience and support for the production since we first announced way back in 2019. I am so excited that the immense talents of Jennifer Saunders and Beverley Knight will be leading the company, with the equally talented Keala Settle, Lesley Joseph, Clive Rowe and Lizzie Bea completing our all star principal cast."

The cast also includes Jeremy Secomb, Graham McDuff, Tricia Deighton, Lori Haley Fox, Tom Hopcroft, Bradley Judge, Tanya Edwards, Catherine Millsom, Anne Smith, Emma Ralston, Jermaine Woods, Michael Ward and Caroline Bateson. Complete casting to be announced soon.

Jennifer Saunders is a BAFTA award-winning actress, comedian and writer. She is one half of the highly successful and much-loved comedy duo French and Saunders and also wrote and starred in five series, three specials and a feature film of her hit comedy Absolutely Fabulous. Her many other TV credits include writing and starring in Jam and Jerusalem and guest starring in Friends and Roseanne. Her film credits include the voice of the evil ‘Fairy Godmother’ in Shrek 2. On stage she has appeared in Lady Windermere’s Fan at the Vaudeville Theatre and Blithe Spirit at Bath Theatre Royal and the Duke of York’s and Harold Pinter theatres in the West End.

Beverley Knight recently received an Olivier nomination for her starring role as ‘Faye Treadwell’ in The Drifter’s Girl, which she is currently appearing in at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End. Beverley can also be seen as a judge on ITV’s highly successful brand new entertainment show Starstruck. She is a three-time MOBO Award winner and Mercury Music Prize nominee who has sold over a million albums in the UK, including the platinum selling Voice: The Best of Beverley Knight. Her other West End credits include Olivier Award nominated performance as ‘Felicia Farrell’ in Memphis The Musical, ‘Rachel Marron’ in The Bodyguard, ‘Grizabella’ in Cats at The London Palladium and ‘Emmeline Pankhurst’ in Sylvia at the Old Vic Theatre. In 2021 she was also seen in Amazon’s live action movie Cinderella and in the Channel 4 pilot Big Age.

Tony-Award nominated actress and singer, Keala Settle, is the breakout star of 20th Century Fox’s, The Greatest Showman, alongside Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, and Zendaya. The Hawaii native’s performance of the film’s Oscar-nominated song This Is Me reached Number One on the UK’s charts for a record-smashing 28 weeks. Her Broadway credits include Hands on a Hardbody, Les Misérables and Waitress. She also featured on Hugh Jackman’s world tour concert The Man. The Music. The Show., performing in Europe, New Zealand, Australia and North America. In December 2017, Keala released her EP Chapter One, a compilation of contemporary and R&B infused covers.

Lesley Joseph is best known for playing ‘Dorien Green’ in the hugely successful sitcom Birds of a Feather alongside Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson. They recorded over 100 episodes over a period of nine years. Lesley and her co-stars returned to our screens in Birds of a Feather in 2013. She has been seen on screen in ITV’s Night and Day and appeared on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing and most recently Channel 4’s Celebrity Coach Trip alongside Linda Robson. Lesley’s theatre credits include ‘Miss Hannigan’ in Annie at the West End’s Victoria Palace and also on national tour, and her Olivier Award nominated performance as ‘Frau Blucher’ in Young Frankenstein. Her other touring credits include Calendar Girls and Hot Flush!.

Clive Rowe won the Olivier award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Guys and Dolls at The National Theatre and was also nominated for Best Supporting Performance in Carousel, also at The National Theatre. At 2009’s Oliviers, he was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre award for Mother Goose at Hackney Empire. His many West End and touring credits include Ladykillers at the Gielgud Theatre, Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, Sweet Charity at the Donmar Warehouse, the UK tour of The Wind in The Willows and Me and My Girl at Chichester Festival Theatre.

Lizzie Bea is currently starring as ‘Martha Dunnstock’ in Heathers The Musical at The Other Palace. She recently received critical and audience acclaim for her portrayal of ‘Tracy Turnblad’ in Hairspray at the London Coliseum. Her other theatre credits include ‘Abigail’ in the World Premiere of Becoming Nancy at the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta and performing in the UK Tours of Kinky Boots, Fat Friends the Musical, Chicken Little, The Shakespeare Revue and The 3 Little Pigs.

Based on the iconic movie, this sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, sisterhood and music tells the hilarious story of the disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. Under protective custody she is hidden in the one place she won’t be found – a convent! Disguised as a nun and under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.

SISTER ACT has direction by Bill Buckhurst, choreography by Alistair David, Set Design by Morgan Large, Lighting Design by Tim Mitchell, Sound Design by Tom Marshall and Musical Supervision by Stephen Brooker. Casting is by Stuart Burt.

SISTER ACT features original music by Tony® and 8-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken(Disney’s Aladdin, Enchanted), lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane. SISTER ACT is produced by Jamie Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg.

Beverley Knight will not be appearing at the following performances - Sunday 24 July at 3.00pm, Tuesday 26 July at 7.30pm and Thursday 28 July at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.