Alexandra Burke, Craig Revel Horwood and the stars of Sister Act prepare for September in Sunderland

REHEARSALS are in full swing for the national tour of Curve’s new production of the hit musical comedy Sister Act, directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, which is about to tour the North-East.

Based on the hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith, the show opens at Curve, Leicester, on Saturday (July 30) ahead of performances at Sunderland Empire from Monday, September 5 to Saturday, September10, and tells the hilarious story of Deloris Van Cartier, a 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.

Alexandra Burke headlines as Deloris, Joanna Francis is Michelle, Jon Robyns plays Eddie, Karen Mann is Mother Superior and Rosemary Ashe is the nervous Sister Mary Lazarus. At the matinee performances, the role of Deloris will be played by Joanna Francis.

Aaron Lee Lambert will play Curtis, Sarah Goggin is Sister Mary Robert, Susannah Van Den Berg is Sister Mary Patrick, Allison Harding is Sister Mary Theresa, Ricky Rojas is Pablo, Samuel Morgan-Grahame is Joey and Sandy Grigelis plays TJ. The company also includes Nicola Bryan, Jennifer Douglas, Aiesha Pease, Sally Peerless and Justin Wilman.

Alexandra Burke returns to the North-East following her role as Rachel Marron in the national tour of The Bodyguard, a part she also played in the West End. She originally rose to fame after winning the fifth series of TV's X Factor. Her debut number one single Hallelujah sold more than one million copies in the UK, a first for a British female soloist. Burke’s first album, Overcome, produced her subsequent number one singles Bad Boys and Start Without You. In 2011 she embarked on her first solo tour and was invited by Beyoncé to support her I Am... Tour. Her second album, Heartbreak on Hold, was released in June 2012.

Joanna Francis has recently finished performing in the West End production of The Lion King. Jon Robyns has played many leading roles in the West End including Rod/Princeton in the original cast of Avenue Q at the Noel Coward Theatre and Caractacus Potts’ in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Karen Mann’s extensive theatre credits include Golde opposite Paul Michael Glaser in the national tour of Fiddler on the Roof, and most recently appeared in The Witches, both at Curve, Leicester and on tour.

Rosemary Ashe’s many West End credits include creating the roles of Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Miss Andrew in Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre and Felicia Gabriel in The Witches of Eastwick at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Musical supervision and arrangements are by Tony Award-Winner Sarah Travis with set and costume design by Matthew Wright, lighting design by Richard G Jones and sound design by Richard Brooker.

  • Sister Act tickets available from the Box Office on High Street West, via the ticket centre 0844-871-3022 or ATGtickets.com/Sunderland