‘Soul Sister’ Retells Ike & Tina Turner Story on UK Tour

“Soul Sister,” a new musical exploring the life of Ike and Tina Turner, will embark on a U.K. tour early next year.

The first stop on the tour will be at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow from January 14-19, 2013. The musical is then scheduled to stay on the road through a June 10-15 stay at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. Other cities on the itinerary include Sheffield, Oxford, Hull, Cardiff, Derby, Belfast and Northampton.

The show “follows the highs and lows, the passions and heartbreak of Ike and Tina Tuner as their careers blossomed and their marriage crumbled,” according to press notes. “It features all the classics that Turner is known for, including ‘Simply the Best,’ ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It,’ ‘Proud Mary,’ ‘Private Dancer’ and ‘River Deep, Mountain High.’”

The musical is written by John Miller and Pete Brooks. The latter also directed the production along with Bob Eaton. Emi Wokoma stars as Tina Turner, while Chris Tummings portrays Ike.

Both played their respective parts previously in the premiere of the play, which took place at London’s Hackney Empire for a limited run in late April and early May of this year. The production then transferred to the West End’s Savoy Theatre, where it began performances August 20 and officially opened on August 23. The engagement lasted through September 29.

The cast features a total of 15 actors, and there is no word yet if others appearing in the two previous productions will reprise their roles.

Wokoma has been fairly prominent in West End in the past, appearing in London productions of “Hairspray” and “Porgy and Bess.” Tummings has previously appeared in “The Harder They Come” and “The Big Life,” which both played at Stratford East’s Theatre Royal. He also was seen in “Fabulation” at the Tricycle in London.