Marie And Rosetta Review – Rose Theatre
LAUGH, CRY, AND SWING ALONG TO THE STORY OF ROSETTA THARPE
By Ruth Thompson | @ruth.thompson_ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Press Invite
Marie and Rosetta will have you laughing, crying, and of course swinging. A fantastic production celebrating the life of a woman who should be a household name.
Marie and Rosetta is a snapshot of the story of Rosetta Tharpe and her singing partner Marie Knight. Tharpe is dubbed ‘the godmother of rock and roll’, inspiring people like Ellis and Jimi Hendrix. Like a lot of great women throughout history, her legacy is not remembered as it should be, and I felt very fortunate to learn about her through this production. This was made easier by the Rose Theatre displaying historical images, quotes, moments from history and even sculptures in the foyer area, helping to share more of Rosetta and the woman who becomes her sister.
Watching this was joyful, I got to witness the progression of the relationship between the god fearing demure Marie Knight and the energetic free Rosetta. Gifted throughout the production with songs from their repertoire, Beverley Knight (a legend in her own right) and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu were magnificent. The music at times felt electric, with me actually experiencing goosebumps on a couple of occasions, it was impossible not to swing along at points. It’s a simple production with one set, no costume changes, and a minimal but incredible band, but that’s all they need to create magic!
Whilst joyful and funny, it takes a turn at the climax when the play lays out the remainder of the great woman’s life. How she ended up with another ‘squirrel’ of a husband who didn’t treat her right, how she parted ways with Marie and the legacy she ended her life with. This was beautifully done in a perfectly executed twist and left a lot of the audience quietly sniffing and wiping their eyes in theirs seats.
I highly recommend everyone watch this production. The band was incredible, the acting and singing unmatched. A short look into Rosetta Tharpes life was not enough for me and I’ll continue to learn about her life and music after watching this.
Marie and Rosetta is running at the Rose Theatre until Saturday 24 May.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Photo Credit: Marc Brenner
One Comment
Anonymous
Yes I couldn’t agree with you more. A real eye opener and I’ve learned something here! Although I apologise for only giving it 🌟 🌟 🌟 out of five
I felt uncomfortable dealing with the mimed piano and the air guitar.
As it was all set during one night backstage, couldn’t they have mimed with a real piano and guitar?