Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood is set to play Mother Superior in a new UK and Ireland tour of the musical Sister Act, which will open at Sunderland Empire in September 2027. The 61-year-old, the longest-serving judge on the BBC dance competition, will appear alongside Pop Idol singer and West End star Zoe Birkett, who takes on the role of Dolores.
Tour Dates and Cast
The tour begins in autumn 2027 and runs until spring 2028. Following its London opening, the production moves to Sunderland, where it will run from September 20-25, 2027. It will also visit Sheffield, Dublin, Manchester, and Birmingham, with additional dates scheduled in Cardiff, Nottingham, Brighton, Belfast, and Derry. Full details are yet to be announced.
Comedian Paul Chuckle, aged 79, will play Monsignor O'Hara, the leader of the struggling parish. Revel Horwood previously directed and choreographed a UK tour of Sister Act in 2015, and now joins the cast on stage in this new production.
Career Highlights
Revel Horwood has a range of theatre credits, including Munkustrap in Cats, Dance Captain in Miss Saigon, and Miss Hannigan in Annie. He was also an original cast member of Crazy For You. As a choreographer, he has received Olivier Award nominations for Spend, Spend, Spend and My One And Only. He has been a Strictly judge since the show began in 2004 and published his debut novel, Dances And Dreams On Diamond Street, in 2020.
The original Sister Act film, released in 1992, starred Whoopi Goldberg as Dolores, an aspiring singer who witnesses a crime and enters witness protection disguised as a nun. The late Maggie Smith played Mother Superior in the movie.
