West End star Landi Oshinowo plays Deloris in Sister Act as the musical heads to Dublin in February. She tells John Byrne about life on the road and appearing opposite Gavin & Stacey’s Ruth Jones.
Musical theatre has so many reasons to thank Hollywood for its continuing popularity. And, in fairness, it’s a relationship that works both ways. So many films have become stage shows, though the more traditional route was - for decades - the other way around.
Sister Act started out as a 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg in a tale about Deloris Van Cartier, a singer on the run who ends up incognito in a nunnery.
In the mid-Noughties it became a musical and it’s been a massive West End hit since its London debut in 2009. That original production featured the likes of Patina Miller, Sheila Hancock and Ian Lavender.
Also in the cast was Landi Oshinowo, a skilled actress and singer, who has just finished playing Mrs Phelps in Matilda the Musical in the West End, at the Cambridge Theatre.
Now she’s back in Sister Act, playing the lead role of Deloris Von Cartier as the show goes on tour across the UK, and also visits Ireland, playing Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre February 13 to 24.
As well as Mrs Phelps in Matilda The Musical, her theatre credits include Shrek the Musical at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, The Light Princess at the National Theatre, Big Fish at The Other Palace and - of course - Sister Act at the London Palladium.
Further credits include the national tours of Barnum, Fame and The Who’s Tommy.
Just in case you’re unaware, Sister Act is a story buoyed by the universal power of friendship, sisterhood and music which tells the story of Deloris, a disco diva whose life takes a turn when she witnesses a murder.
Under protective custody she’s hidden in a convent, disguised as a nun. Under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.
As well as Landi Oshinowo, the cast includes Ruth Jones (of Gavin & Stacey fame) as Mother Superior. Fun times and great tunes are guaranteed . . .
John Byrne: Hi Landi! You’re on tour with Sister Act from January 31 before landing in Dublin to perform at the Bord Gáis from Feb 13 to 24. How do you prepare for a tour or do you just pack a bag the night before?
Land Oshinowo: [Laughs] Sometimes it is a bit like that. You have to prepare. Mentally as well. You’re not going to be in your own bed, first of all.
You prepare minimally, making sure you don’t take stacks of suitcases with you. You pack your bags and hope for the best. And make sure you remember every charger as well!
You’ve a musical theatre CV that’s almost as long as Britain. Where do you stand on touring versus playing in the West End?
I love to be in the West End, because you’re at home, you get to see lots of people, you get to see shows. It’s very much a 9-to-5 in the theatres world - if you call it ‘9-to-5’.
You go to work every day, you go to the theatre . . . Before this show, I was in the Matilda The Musical, and technically, I was part of the company for four years. But I really worked for the show for two-and-a-half. We had covid in between.
You have a dressing table, you know where you are, everything’s familiar. And it’s lovely.
You really appreciate being able to sleep in your own bed when you're putting your head down somewhere different every few days . . .
I remember saying a few years ago that I was never going to tour again - I think it was probably down to the experiences with digs - but the staff in the theatres, in all of the theatres, are always amazing. Always lovely.
The great thing about touring again is seeing familiar faces. Some I haven’t seen in years. I think that some of the places I stayed in were - let’s just say I could tell you a few stories!
When this tour came up I just knew I had to do the show again. It didn’t matter where I went, I would go to the end of the Earth to do the show again.
And do you know what? I will never say never again because touring is such an experience that I think everyone needs to have in this industry.
You see the country and you meet people and have experiences that you can’t have if you’re in London. It has its own amazing experiences compared to being in the West End.
And also, the thing is that you and the rest of the cast become a real family on tour. You look out for each other. You do everything together. So it’s great on tour, really.
Are you familiar with Dublin?
I did play there, many years ago, and I just learned that the venue’s not there any more.
I did The Blues Brothers at The Tivoli. That show was actually produced by the husband of [the film version's star] John Belushi’s widow. It was produced and directed by him.
They’re building a hotel there now!
It was a nice little place, actually. It was a great production. Oh my goodness me!
Now you’re back in Sister Act! And you’re no stranger to the role of Deloris . . .
No! I did it many years ago at the Palladium in London, headlined by Patina Miller - who played Deloris at the time - and Sheila Hancock, who was Mother Superior. She was brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
And this time around, Ruth Jones is in that role as Mother Superior . . .
I’m working with Ruth at the moment and, oh goodness me, who a lovely lady. I really didn’t know what to expect [laughs].
She’s a brilliant actress. I’m not going to give anything away, but you need to come and see her.
You know in Gavin & Stacey, her character was non-smiling? Well Ruth Jones never stops smiling. She’s just such a beautiful woman.
It's only a couple of years since Sister Act was last here and it’s become a West End staple - what do you put its popularity down to?
I think its’s probably because lots of people remember the movie. What can I say? It’s just . . . . Whoopi Goldberg, when that movie came out, instantly it grabbed audiences. And you’ve got Sixties’ music. People love Sixties’ music.
And it’s this woman, who’s a club singer, who is brash and loud, and then you have her in a convent wit nuns, who are good, quiet and meek. And of course you’ve got several characters within the nuns as well.
I think when you see that as a premise for a story, you think - right, I want to watch this! You know that a car crash is going to happen on many levels. And then there’s friendship and sisterhood that develops with all of them.
And that’s what brings people back to either the movie or the musical.
And the story itself has a lot of heart in it. Everyone wants to see this woman who’s relatable. Everyone wants to see her win the day at the end. I think it resonates with people.
Sister Act is at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from February 13 to 24. Tickets are available from TicketMaster.
