It transpires that the Black Madonna is a wooden bust owned by the formidable beekeeping  business women, the Boatwright sisters, whose home is also their church. In exchange for working, they offer food, board and spiritual guidance to the girls as they’d done for Lily’s mother over a decade before. 

The set (Soutra Gilmour) and lighting (Neil Austin) are a triumph. Corn, lit by the warm yellow glow of the Deep South sun, fills the back of the stage. We imagine it going on for miles. The glow spreads through the shimmer of white light when the ensemble open with ‘River of Melting Sun’ conjuring up the feeling of a heat haze as the women fan their skirts to cool down. The wooden frame of a house revolves, making the stage at the Almeida seem much bigger than it is, particularly during the group numbers.  

The music is a mix of folk, soul, blues, funk, gospel and musical theatre. It’s a pleasure to hear talented singers and outstanding musicians with such range. But, next to the rousing gospel numbers (in particular the sublime ‘Hold this House Together’ sung acapella), some of the show tunes (with overly simplistic rhyming), seem lightweight. When August Boatright (Rachel John) sings The Secret Life of Bees to Lily whilst walking her round the hives, it feels like the song has been shoehorned in to include the title somewhere.