One of the West End and Broadway’s most instantly recognisable voices and beloved leading ladies is heading out on her first ever UK Tour.

Marisha Wallace – the sensational star of such smash-hit shows as Dreamgirls, Waitress, Aladdin, The Book of Mormon and very soon Hairspray – will play a series of unmissable theatre shows in March 2020.

Beginning at Sale’s Waterside on March 8, Marisha will then play Newbury Corn Exchange, Horsham Capitol, Birmingham Hippodrome and Leeds City Varieties.

Ahead of the tour we sat down with Marisha to get the lowdown on what we can expect from the tour, why audience participation is crucial to her performance, what ‘that song’ “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” means to her and why she has her heart set on becoming the “Beyoncé of Broadway”.

She said: "It’s going to be incredible!

"To be going out around the country and singing in these different regions is going to be wonderful –the experience of a lifetime.

"This is my first time as a solo headliner so I can’t wait.

"They can expect a lot of amazing songs, a lot of soul, a lot of big numbers from your favourite musicals that I’ve been in over the years and some of my own songs.

This is a brand-new show which I feel has something for everyone. I will be performing songs by artists and songwriters that mean the world to me. I feel sure the audience will get up on their feet and dance. It's going to be high energy and inspirational!

"I really love Manchester, the food is incredible, it’s almost like a different kind of London, reminds me of Boston a little bit and it’s an incredible place."

She will be joined by her four-piece band and says visitors can also expect some surprise guests, some choirs and singers from the towns and cities.

She added: "I’ve been a singer my whole life, music was such an important part of my family growing up, and early on I decided I wanted to make a career out of it. I went to go to university, but I did not get in because they said there was something wrong with my voice. It was then found I had a cyst on my vocal chords and had to have surgery.

"I was told they did not know if I would be able to sing again after surgery but thankfully the surgery turned out well and I went back to the same school and they asked whether I would like to do musical theatre.

"I've worked so hard to get here. I have been working at this for 15, 20 years just trying to make my dreams come true, going from nothing to making it. It’s a very personal thing for me. I feel like a showman and it’s what I like to do - I will come out on the night like a firecracker!"