BLOOD BROTHERS to Return to Birmingham Hippodrome with Lyn Paul

The international smash hit musical Blood Brothers will make a triumphant return to Birmingham Hippodrome for two weeks this Autumn from Mon 10 - Sat 22 Oct.

No stranger to Blood Brothers, 'The definitive Mrs Johnstone' (Manchester Evening News) Lyn Paul returns to the iconic role, one she first played in 1997. Lyn played Mrs Johnstone in the final West End performances at the Phoenix Theatre in 2012. She has also starred in the UK tour of Cabaret in 2013 as Fraulein Schneider, in Boy George's musical Taboo and in Footloose - the Musical.

Lyn rose to fame in the early 1970s as a member of the New Seekers. She was the featured vocalist on their 1972 Eurovision Song Contest entry, 'Beg, Steal or Borrow', in which they came second and lead vocalist on the 1974 number-one hit 'You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me'. Among the group's other works, they recorded the song 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing', adapted from an advertising jingle for Coca-Cola, which sold over 20 million copies and still remains one of the 100 best-selling singles in the UK.

Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving story of twin boys separated at birth, only to be reunited by a twist of fate and a mother's haunting secret. The memorable score includes A Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It's Not True.

When Mrs Johnstone, a young mother, is deserted by her husband and left to her own devices to provide for seven hungry children she takes a job as a housekeeper in order to make ends meet.

It is not long before her brittle world crashes around her when she discovers herself to be pregnant yet again - this time with twins! In a moment of weakness and desperation, she enters a secret pact with her employer which leads inexorably to the show's shattering climax. A sensational cast, incredible show stopping music, remarkable staging and five star performances make Blood Brothers an enthralling night of entertainment.

Hailed as one of the best musicals of all time, Blood Brothers, written by award-winning playwright Willy Russell, has triumphed across the globe. Scooping up no fewer than four awards for best musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway, Blood Brothers is simply unmissable and unbeatable. This epic tale of Liverpool life ran in London's West End for 24 years and exceeded 10,000 performances. It is one of only three musicals ever to achieve that milestone. It has been affectionately christened the 'Standing Ovation Musical' as inevitably it 'brings the audience cheering to its feet and roaring its approval' (The Daily Mail).

Willy Russell is undeniably one of this country's leading contemporary dramatists. His countless credits include Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine. Educating Rita, originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, enjoyed a two year run in the West End and was made into a movie starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters. Shirley Valentine also made the move from stage to screen in an enormously popular film starring Pauline Collins and Tom Conti.

Blood Brothers will visit Birmingham Hippodrome from Mon 10 - Sat 22 Oct 2016. For tickets, call the Box Office on 0844 338 5000 or visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com.

Birmingham Hippodrome is an independent, not-for-profit, registered charity (No 510842). The Hurst Street venue averages over 500,000 visits annually making it the most popular single auditorium in the UK. With no core public revenue funding, it counts Birmingham Royal Ballet and DanceXchange as resident partners; presents all of Welsh National Opera's repertoire; welcomes the best in international dance, major touring dramas, West End and Broadway musicals; and is home to the world's biggest Pantomime. It also houses the 200-seat Patrick Centre for the Performing Arts.