Blast from the past
WHILE WENDI PETERS GETS HER HABIT ON IN SISTER ACT, FANS STILL MESSAGE HER ABOUT CILLA BATTERSBY’S ANTICS…
In her first role since leaving Doctors in the Spring, actress Wendi Peters looks unrecognisable in her nun’s habit, playing Mother Superior on tour in Sister Act. But as we sit down to chat with her between performances, we can’t quite believe how long it’s been since Cilla Battersby was terrorising the residents of Weatherfield…
“It’s been 20 years since I started playing Cilla, and 10 years since I was last back!” beams the actress. “It absolutely amazes me that people still recognise me. But Cilla is back on screen again on ITV3.”
As Classic Corrie revisits Cilla’s time on the cobbles and fans get in touch with Wendi on social media, she admits this is the first time she’s had the chance to watch her infamous alter ego.
“I dipped into Classic Corrie because I was too busy to watch religiously when I was in it,” she explains. “My gosh, was
Cilla a nightmare! She was very over the top and in your face. You either loved her or you hated her.”
Cilla may have said her goodbyes to the Street years ago, but there is one unforgettable scene that every fan Wendi meets is eager to remind her about, that involved Les, Schmeichel the dog, and a whirlpool bath…
“Always, without fail – the bath coming through the ceiling,” she laughs. “If people stop and talk to me they always say, ‘Remember that time…?’ For me, that was two-and-a-half days in the water!”
Now, Wendi is embracing a Mother Superior role in the theatre, and it couldn’t be more different to Cilla! She’s delighted to be back on stage singing again.
“Musical theatre is my first love,” she grins. “It’s lovely to get back up on stage to give the lungs a bit of a go as well! I was thrilled to be given the role – Sister Act is such a fun and uplifting show.”
Taking on such an iconic role means Wendi’s costume is very different to the outfits we’ve seen her wear on TV – but the habit has its perks!
“It’s a bit strange, there’s so many layers to it,” she reveals. “There’s a dress, then a shawl, then a cape. But I’ve done a lot of shows where you have to be in early-to-do wigs and make-up. This is just pin curls, mascara and a bit of lippy – then I’m off!”
Just before she started treading the boards in this show, we saw Wendi leave the role of Nina Bulsara in Doctors. But she has great memories of the storylines she played out while there… “There was an episode called First Christmas all about N
