The Sister Wendy Musical - Hackney Empire
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
DESCRIBED as a vibrant and enchanting musical portrait of the world’s best known ‘art nun’, Sister Wendy Beckett, Postcards from God – The Sister Wendy Musical, runs at Hackney Empire from March 4 to March 23, 2008.
The show follows the story of Sister Wendy Beckett who became a household name in the nineties with her televised tours of the UK, Europe and America, spreading her homespun philosophy that ‘art is meant for everyone’.
From the Gilbert and Sullivan inspired Botticelli’s Birth of Venus to the joyous gospel sound of Touch A Celebrity via Sister Wendy’s Rap-ture, the bold score is composed in styles as various as the artworks depicted in the show.
The cast includes Gay Soper as Sister Wendy Beckett (Sunday In the Park with George, Les Miserables, The Flumps); Sophie Adams as Venus (Falstaff for English National Opera, Brideshead Revisited, The Young Ones); Nicola Blackman as Pammy/Sugar Hill (Destry Rides Again for which she was Olivier nominated, The Lion King, Fame, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Mamma Mia!); and Hannah Everitt as young Wendy (Les Miserables, the RSC’s A Christmas Carol).
They will be joined by Richard Foster-King as St. John/Mr. Beckett (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Wild Party, The Young Ones); Louise Hollamby as Sister Anna Maria/Salome (the award-winning Ruthless, Sleeping Arrangements, Serenade); Colette Kelly as Mother Ruth/Penelope/Sheri (Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, A Chorus of Disapproval); and Gemma Maclean as Young Cuz (We Will Rock You, The Witches of Eastwick, Saturday Night Fever).
Also in the cast are Catherine Millsom as Sister Christina/Dot Beckett/Fern Britten (Jude the Obscure, Closer than Ever and the Olivier nominated Cinderella); Chris Polick as Daniel (A Wild Elusive Butterfly, Innocence, A Thousand Words); Marcus Reeves as Makeup Boy/St. John/PBS Rep (Great Cat Massacre, The Lusiads, Sodom); and Laura Sheppard as Cuz (Whistle Down The Wind, Girl’s Night, The Female Odd Couple).
The Sister Wendy Musical has music, book and lyrics by Marcus Reeves; set design by Harry Scott; lighting design by Lawrence Stromski; costumes by Christina Pomeroy with Emily Pain and Angels Costumiers; and graphic design by Angelic Inspiration Entertainment.
It is produced by Simon James Collier (in association with Mr. Theatre and Hackney Empire Ltd); and directed, staged and choreographed by Omar F. Okai; with musical direction and arrangements by Tyrone Landau.
Tickets: £12, £8 concessions, £5 previews (March 4 and 5) and groups of 10 or more.
NB: Gala Performance for TheatreCares on Wednesday, March 5 – all tickets £15.
For more information call the box office on 020 8985 2424 or visit the website.