Review Round-Up: MARIE AND ROSETTA at @SohoPlace

Written by George Brant (Grounded, The Land of Oz) and directed by Monique Touko (The Boy at the Back of the Class; School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), Marie and Rosetta is based on the true story of the godmother of rock n roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and her protege Marie Knight. Set in Mississippi in 1946, it follows the two women on their daring tour of the segregated southern states, where Rosetta is determined to introduce a bit of swing into Marie’s traditional gospel style. Multi-award-winning singer and actor Beverly Knight (Memphis, The Drifters' Girl, Sylvia, Sister Act) and rising star Ntombizodwa Ndlovu (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Space Between Us, Mixtape) star in this celebration of gospel and blues music.

Marie and Rosetta is playing at @SohoPlace until 24th May.

What are critics saying about Marie and Rosetta?

WhatsOnStage

“Deftly balances humour, heart, and history”

★★★★

Reviewer: Rachel Agyekum

“This intimate two-hander, directed by Monique Touko, deftly balances humour, heart, and history. Beverley Knight stars as Rosetta Tharpe, brimming with confidence, wit and sass. Knight displays razor-sharp comedic timing and the most expressive physicality; she perfectly captures Rosetta’s rebellious charm and showbiz flair. Making her London debut in the role of Marie is Ntombizodwa Ndluvo, who stuns with her sublime vocals. A church-going mother of two, Marie brings a contrasting humility, shaped by a more traditional upbringing. The chemistry between Knight and Ndluvo is electric. Whether trading compliments or doing each other’s makeup, their bond feels both sincere and uplifting.”

Read the review here.

London Box Office

“Two performers at the top of their game, paying homage to these extraordinary women”

★★★★

Reviewer: Stuart King

“The show written by George Brant and directed by Monique Touko benefits hugely from the contribution of the live band members (Shirley Tetteh, Mia Odeleye, Genevieve Namazzi and Ishara Andrews) who are ranged around the edge of the playing area. Over a dozen songs are delivered with a mix of spirituality and pure, uplifting, power and energy. The numbers include: This Train, Didn't It Rain, I Want A Tall Skinny Papa, the astounding Up Above My Head and Peace In The Valley.”

Read the review here.

The Sunday Times

"A tribute to the godmother of rock ’n’ roll"

★★★★

Reviewer: Clive Davis

"George Brant’s play, first staged by the Atlantic Theater Company in New York in 2016 and now receiving its UK premiere at the Rose Theatre in London, creaks in places, but Monique Touko’s production — a collaboration with Chichester Festival Theatre and English Touring Theatre — is lifted by incandescent vocals from the R’n’B singer Beverley Knight. As in that curious bio-musical The Drifters Girl — which asked us to admire a manager who was quite the martinet — Knight again portrays a strong-willed woman. Every time she embarks on a song, the evening takes flight."

Read the review here.

The Stage

“Studded with rock and gospel hits"

★★★★

Reviewer: Holly O’Mahony

“The show’s energy dips around two thirds of the way through, when Grant’s book seems unsure where to take the narrative. But this dialling down also marks a necessary shift of tone to prepare us for the events that curtailed Tharpe’s trailblazing career."

Read the review here.

Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu in MARIE AND ROSETTA. Photo by Johan Persson.

The Guardian

“Beverley Knight’s mighty voice soars as the godmother of rock’n’roll”

★★★

Reviewer: Ammar Kalia

“The music is immediate and brilliant, with Knight and Ndlovu reaching a soaring harmony on the swaggering Rock Me, rumbling into a sultry groove on Tharpe’s nightclub favourite I Want a Tall Skinny Papa and highlighting Knight’s mighty solo vocal on Didn’t It Rain. With guitarist Shirley Tetteh and pianist Liam Godwin channelling Tharpe’s bluesy feel, decades-old songs are reinvigorated. The script, however, is a disappointment. Overly didactic, with swathes of dialogue telling the audience about Tharpe’s life story or the realities of racism but showing little, Brant misses an opportunity to meaningfully examine the difficulties of being a boundary-breaking woman of colour in the 1940s.”

Read the review here.

The Evening Standard

“Magnificent singing, pedestrian script”

★★★

Reviewer: Nick Curtis

“It’s right and good that Brant reminds us of her success in a segregated and sexist America, as well as her struggles to balance missionary zeal with a taste for raunch that saw her shunned by her own church. (Alongside an exploration of blues, gospel and the emerging genre of rock, this play contains more discussion of faith than I’ve seen in many years: London theatre rarely “does God”.) The story is a fascinating one, but as the two characters meticulously explain it to one another, you find yourself longing for the songs. Fortunately, they are worth the wait.”

Read the review here.

If you're interested in more powerful stories about women, check out our list of Theatre Shows to Watch for International Women's Day.