BLOOD BROTHERS to Visit Sheffield's Lyceum Theatre on 30th Anniversary Tour

Bill Kenwright's production of international smash-hit musical Blood Brothers visits the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield, from Monday 23 January to Saturday 4 February, as part of its 30th Anniversary Tour, with Lyn Paul in the iconic role of Mrs Johnstone.

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.

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.

No stranger to Blood Brothers, Lyn Paul returns to the role of Mrs Johnstone, one she first played in 1997.

Lyn rose to fame in the early 1970s as a member of the New Seekers, who had huge chart success with their 1972 Eurovision Song Contest entry, Beg, Steal or Borrow and 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. She has also starred in the UK tour of Cabaret, Boy George's musical Taboo and Footloose - the Musical.

With a sensational cast, an incredible show stopping score including A Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It's Not True, Blood Brothers is 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, with four awards for best musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway.

This epic tale of Liverpool life started as a play, performed at a Liverpool comprehensive school in 1981 before opening at the Liverpool Empire in 1983, completing sell out seasons in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan. Blood Brothers also ran in London's West End for 24 years, exceeding 10,000 performances.

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.

The cast for Blood Brothers includes Sarah Jane Buckley, Dean Chisnall, Mark Hutchinson, Sean Jones, Adam Search, Danielle Corlass, Tim Churchill, Graham Martin, Laura Harrison, Alison Crawford, Graeme Kinniburgh, Henry Regan and Josh Capper. In Sheffield, the role of Brenda will be played by Joanne McShane.

Blood Brothers is directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, with design by Andy Walmsley, sound design by Dan Samson, lighting design by Nick Richings and musical direction from Kelvin Towse.

Blood Brothers comes to the Lyceum Theatre from Monday 23 January - Saturday 4 February. Tickets can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres' Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and are priced from £19.00 - £34.50. Concessions and group discounts are available.

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