Wendi Peters admits it would take a special show to make her head out on tour across the country, visiting new theatres on a weekly basis.
“To be honest I’d had enough of living out of a suitcase and spending all that time away from home,” she said, “but when they offered me this role in Sister Act I jumped at the chance.
“It’s such a fun show. You cannot come out of the theatre not smiling – whether you’re in the audience or in the cast - after the finale. It is a great evening out.”
Blackburn-born Wendi is playing Mother Superior in the hit musical which comes to Blackpool next week.
Based on the 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, it’s the tale of a nightclub singer forced to hide in a convent after witnessing a murder to escape the clutches of the Mob.
“I’ve never really watched the film,” said Wendi, “but this is not the same as the film. We have all these wonderful songs written by Alan Menkin who wrote the songs for Disney’s Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast.
“You hear one song and think it can’t get any better than this and then every number just seems to top it. Then you arrive at this brilliant finale and we’re all jumping around in sequinned habits - it’s just a joy.”
As Mother Superior, Wendi takes an instant dislike to the singer Deloris Van Cartier who arrives on her doorstep. With the convent desperate for money she has no choice but to take the money being offered by the police to shield their star witness.
“At first she’s very stern,” said Wendi. “She doesn’t like the way Delores behaves, but then she’s not a nun. But gradually as Delores joins the choir and turns these nuns around and becomes part of their community she softens a little.”
So is the domineering Mother Superior anything like Wendi in real life?
“I think whatever part you play there will always be a tiny bit of you in there,” she said. “Mother Superior isn’t the most tolerant of people and maybe I’m not a particularly patient person and I don’t suffer fools.
“Then again I don’t think anyone of my age should, we’ve been around far too long for that,” she laughed. “Other than that she is very different from me.
“I decided to play her American as that fits in with the show being set in Philadelphia. For all her faults she actually cares very deeply about the nuns in her charge and is worried what would happen to them if the convent shut down.
“I tell you what though, it’s bloomin’ hot work playing a nun. Those woollen habits and wimples are roasting. And of course we’re touring in the summer. If I haven’t lost a stone or two after this I’m not going to be happy.”
Even though she has a string of musicals both in the West End and as part of major tours under her belt, Wendi will be forever be known for playing one of the great Coronation Street characters, Cilla Battersby-Brown.
“Most people know me for being on their TV screens three nights a week,” she said. “When you are watching a TV programme you don’t get a CV and a programme with it. You have no idea other than if you catch people on interviews what they have done before.
“I think people are still surprised when they see me in a musical. In a way that’s quite nice to know you can surprise people.
“But musical theatre has always been something special for me. It’s what made me want to be in the business in the first place so it’s lovely to get the chance to appear in a show like this and be able to do what I love doing.”
As Cilla, Wendi created one of the most divisive soap characters, and yet she was only in Coronation Street for four years.
“It’s 20 years this year that I started on Coronation Street,” said Wendi. “But I guess because she was such an in-your-face character people remember her. She just said whatever she thought to anybody, she didn’t care who they were and as a result some viewers loved her and others really hated her.
“They are currently show re-runs on ITV3 and people keep messaging me about Cilla.
“I never got the chance to watch any of the show when I was in it, you’re too busy. But I have been dipping in every now and then. It’s interesting because you see things that you don’t remember doing.
“But gosh, she was a nightmare wasn’t she? An absolute nightmare.
“I remember thinking at the time no-one would be like Cilla but then I’d meet someone and think ‘I really wouldn’t like to live next door to you’ So perhaps she’s not that far fetched. But that’s what you want with soap characters, you want that variety.”
Growing up in East Lancashire Wendi has fond memories of Blackpool as a child.
“My poor mum would have to take us to the Pleasure Beach and then there’d be the annual Illuminations, driving down the prom with our heads through the sunroof (you could do that in those days) followed by fish and chips,” she said. “But it’s nice to be going back there with the show. It also means I can stay with my mum and dad and see some family.”
Sister Act the Musical, Blackpool Opera House, Monday July 15 to Saturday, July 20. Details from www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk
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