Marie and Rosetta

Rose Theatre

Playing until 24th May 2025 then to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (27-31 May) and Chichester Festival Theatre (25 June-26 July)

Booket Tickets - Rose Theatre

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

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Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a true musical pioneer, whose unique fusion of traditional gospel music with rock and roll sensibilities influenced artists such as Tina Turner and Elvis Presley, to name just two. While her timeless records live on, Rosetta’s legacy isn’t as widely celebrated as some of history’s other musical icons. George Brant’s play Marie and Rosetta, seeks reparations for this injustice.

Rather than exploring Rosetta’s entire career, Brant’s script zeroes in on a time where she’s facing backlash from the Church for performing in nightclubs, as well as dealing with extra competition from the likes of superstar on the rise Mahalia Jackson. In a bid to revamp her reputation and usher in a new thriving era of her career, Rosetta has plucked up-and-comer Marie Knight out of a singing quartet and brought her straight onto her latest tour.

We’re introduced to Rosetta (Beverley Knight) and Marie (Ntombizodwa Ndlovu) in Mississippi, 1946, where they’re rehearsing for their first performance together. But, due to the realities of being a Black artist in the Jim Crow era deep South, the duo is forced to make do with a discreet funeral parlour as a rehearsal space.

We quickly see the stark contrast between the two characters emerge through their first conversations; Rosetta is assured, uncompromising, and unafraid to redefine gospel music on her own terms. Marie, on the other hand, is prim and proper, insisting on doing things by the book, in this case, the Bible.

The creative and moralistic tension between the pair is captivating from the get go, with the laughs coming thick and fast as Rosetta forcefully teaches Marie to loosen up and put a bit of swing into her performance.

Of course, this is a rehearsal, so we get to see the pair singing plenty of Rosetta’s greatest hits, from the mighty ‘Rock Me’ to the sultry ‘I Want a Tall Skinny Papa’. Beverley Knight is one of the UK’s greatest modern vocal talents, and she puts absolutely everything into nailing the verve and emotion in Rosetta’s music.

In comparison to Knight, Ntombizodwa Ndlovu is a relative newcomer, having only graduated in 2021. You’d never be able to tell though — she’s a powerful match for Knight with her own extraordinary vocal tone, capturing both the sweetness and soul of Marie.

Each of the performers’ voices are stunning in silo, but when we first hear them blend together it’s nothing short of euphoric. The easy chemistry they display through Brant’s engaging dialogue translates to their musical performances in spades. At one point, the pair descends into the audience to get the whole room clapping and tapping along in a moment of sheer theatrical bliss.

Monique Touko’s direction is dazzling, from the first silhouetted appearance of Rosetta to the emotional reveal of the play’s climatic twist. The staging is simple enough to not lose focus on the unique dynamic between the two women as they discover themselves and each other, but inspired enough to also shine a spotlight on guitarist Shirley Tetteh and stand-in pianist Liam Godwin.

Lily Arnold’s plush set design harks back to the era of plush carpets and slinky drapes, with Jodie-Simone Howe’s costumes perfectly highlighting Marie’s projected innocence in juxtaposition with Rosetta’s bold confidence.

As well as offering more than its fair share of truly spellbinding musical performances, Marie and Rosetta also tells a beautiful tale of blossoming sisterhood, as the women discuss the painful realities of navigating a segregated world as a Black woman and the challenges of escaping a toxic marriage. Throughout these conversations, Ndlovu and Knight beautifully capture the vulnerability and warmth of these two powerhouse women as they begin to open up to one another.

Marie and Rosetta is an illuminating and uplifting snapshot of two truly extraordinary musical talents whose legacies have been neglected for too long.

Creatives 

Writer: George Brant

Director: Monique Touko

Set Designer: Lily Arnold

Costume Designer: Jodie-Simone Howe

Guitar & Musical Director: Shirley Tetteh