EVERYONE knows her as the Jewish vamp Dorien Green in TV comedy Birds of a Feather, so Lesley Joseph may not seem the obvious choice to play the Mother Superior in the stage version of Sister Act.

However, she does have some relevant experience – having met and chatted to the Pope.

Lesley appeared in BBC2’s Pilgrimage: The Road To Rome and says: “Funnily enough, whenever I’m in Sister Act, I do always think of this moment.

“I had half an hour with the Pope and I blessed him and made him laugh, and he gave me a medal to celebrate his six years in the papacy.

“I’ve always had a spirituality about me. I love going in churches. Whenever I go into a church I will always light a candle for both of my parents and Birds of a Feather co-star Linda Robson’s mum, and say a quiet prayer.”

Sister Act started as a blockbuster movie starring Whoopie Goldberg. For anyone who has not seen the movie, Lesley explains: “Deloris Van Cartier witnesses her boyfriend shoot someone and she gets put into hiding in a convent for her protection.

“Into the world of Mother Superior comes this woman who is a singer, who wears short skirts, who’s full of bling and very over the top. It’s about how these two worlds combine and ultimately rub off on each other.”

Lesley adds: “The musical doesn’t have the music from the film, but it’s Alan Menken’s music and he is a genius.

‘‘He’s been to see our show twice and loved it. I think people love the production because of the great music, and it’s very much an audience show.”

Emmerdale’s Sandra Marvin plays Deloris Van Cartier alongside Lesley Joseph’s Mother Superior when Sister Act is at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking from Monday to Saturday, 20-25 February.