Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood to star in new Sister Act musical tour

In: Culture

Craig Revel Horwood is swapping the Strictly Come Dancing judging desk for the stage, having signed up to play Mother Superior in a new UK and Ireland tour of Sister Act.

The 61-year-old will take on the role made famous by the late Dame Maggie Smith in the 1992 film. He is no stranger to the musical, having directed and choreographed its UK tour in 2015.

The story follows lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier, who goes into hiding and lives as a nun after witnessing a crime. Her disguise is quickly put in jeopardy as she begins to transform the struggling convent choir.

Zoe Birkett, a Pop Idol singer and West End star, will play Deloris, the character portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg in the film.

Comedian Paul Chuckle, 79, will join them as Monsignor O’Hara.

Revel Horwood has been a Strictly judge for over two decades
Revel Horwood has been a Strictly judge for over two decades (BBC, Strictly Come Dancing)

The tour opens in London in September 2027 and runs until March 2028. It then moves on to Sunderland, Sheffield, Dublin, Manchester and Birmingham. Further dates are scheduled in Cardiff, Nottingham, Brighton, Belfast and Derry.

The part adds to a string of theatre credits for Revel Horwood.

He has played Munkustrap in Cats, Dance Captain in Miss Saigon and Miss Hannigan in Annie, and was one of the original cast members of Crazy For You.

His choreography on the musicals Spend, Spend, Spend and My One And Only earned him Olivier Award nominations. Revel Horwood has sat on the Strictly panel since the show began in 2004, making him its longest-serving judge.

Earlier this month, Revel Horwood defended the show’s new presenting trio, comments made by the press towards broadcaster Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe and former Strictly professional Johannes Radebe as “disgusting”

The Strictly star praised the new trio, who have replaced Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, for the 2026 series.

“We are putting people together and it is like a family and you have to form relationships,” he said during an appearance on BBC Breakfast. The show had its third elimination on Sunday, with Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon being shown the exit door.

Revel Horwood is also an author, and his debut novel, Dances And Dreams On Diamond Street, was published in 2020.