Blood Brothers to close after 24 years in the West End
August 7, 2012
Tell Me It’s Not True! After 24 years of emotional finales Willy Russell’s modern classic Blood Brothers is to bow out of the West End this year.
The long-running show will have notched up over 10,000 performances in London by its close on 27 October 2012, making it the third longest-running musical in town after Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera.
Melanie C in Blood Brothers
The show started life at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983 before opening at the Lyric Theatre in London for a criminally short run. Bill Kenwright then stepped in and revived the show at the Albery Theatre (now the Noel Coward Theatre) on 27 August 1988. It transferred to its current home at the Phoenix Theatre in 1991.
Blood Brothers has subsequently travelled the world and recently undertook a major tour of the UK. The show is set to continue to tour after its London run finishes this October.
Willy Russell’s musical is set in Liverpool and tells the tale of two twins who are separated at birth and later reunited by a twist of fate.
The current London cast includes Vivienne Carlyle as Mrs Johnstone, Philip Stewart as Narrator, Mark Rice Oxley as Mickey, Paul Christopher as Eddie, Abigail Jaye as Mrs Lyons and Louise Clayton as Linda.
The starring role of the mother, Mrs Johnstone, has been played by countless actresses over the last 24 years in the West End, including Barbara Dickson, Stephanie Lawrence, Clodagh Rodgers, Kiki Dee, Lyn Paul, Siobhan McCarthy, Katie Scott, four of the Nolan sisters (Linda, Bernie, Denise and Maureen), Spice Girl Melanie C and Niki Evans.
Blood Brothers has won many awards including an Olivier Award for Best Musical and a Best Actress in a Musical gong for the show’s star Barbara Dickson. Also Con O’Neill won Best Actor in a Musical in 1988 and Mel C was nominated this year for Best Actress in a Musical.
Blood Brothers joins a wave of West End shows exiting this Autumn including long-runner Chicago on 1 September, and big musicals The Wizard of Oz (2 September) and Ghost The Musical (6 October).
SPECIAL TICKET OFFER
Book tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre and save up to £33.50 on tickets
West End Live Timetable: Sunday 24 June 2012, Trafalgar Square
June 17, 2012
Back for its 8th year, West End Live – the spectacular celebration of West End theatre – returns to Trafalgar Square and for the first time will feature every single West End musical over the two days of the event.
WEST END LIVE TIMETABLE
Sunday 24 June 2012, Trafalgar Square
| Time on Stage | Show |
| 12.00PM | STOMP |
| 12.15PM | THE WIZARD OF OZ |
| 12.25PM | SHREK THE MUSICAL |
| 12.35PM | HAVANA RUMBA! |
| 12.50PM | DISNEY’S THE LION KING |
| 13.00PM | THRILLER LIVE |
| 13.25PM | ROCK OF AGES |
| 13.35PM | BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL |
| 13.40PM | MATILDA THE MUSICAL |
| 13.50PM | HORRIBLE HISTORIES |
| 14.05PM | EVERYTHING’S ROSIE |
| 14.10PM | MAMMA MIA! |
| 14.25PM | LOUISE DEARMAN |
| 14.40PM | MARK EVANS |
| 14.55PM | ALEX GAUMOND |
| 15.05PM | DANIEL BOYS |
| 15.15PM | JERSEY BOYS |
| 15.40PM | ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL |
| 15.55PM | BIG ZUMBA DANCE |
| 16.10PM | MARK JERMIN STAGE SCHOOL |
| 16.25PM | WEST END KIDS |
| 16.40PM | THE IN-BETWEEN |
| 16.55PM | NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE |
| 17.10PM | WEST END GOSPEL CHOIR |
| 17.30PM | CONGO FAITH HEALERS |
| 18.00PM | SHOW ENDS |
LINKS
West End Live 2012 – Timetable for Saturday 23 June 2012
Photos of last year’s West End Live event
West End Live Timetable: Saturday 23 June 2012, Trafalgar Square
June 17, 2012
Back for its 8th year, West End Live – the spectacular celebration of West End theatre – returns to Trafalgar Square and for the first time will feature every single West End musical over the two days of the event.
WEST END LIVE TIMETABLE
Saturday 23 June 2012, Trafalgar Square
| Time on Stage | Show |
| 11.00AM | TOP HAT |
| 11.10AM | RAGTIME |
| 11.20AM | WICKED |
| 11.35AM | BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL |
| 11.45AM | SWEENEY TODD |
| 11.50AM | SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN |
| 12.00PM | THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA |
| 12.10PM | LES MISERABLES |
| 12.25PM | GHOST THE MUSICAL |
| 12.35PM | CHICAGO |
| 12.50PM | WE WILL ROCK YOU |
| 13.10PM | MAMMA MIA! |
| 13.25PM | JERSEY BOYS |
| 13.45PM | ROCK OF AGES |
| 14.05PM | THRILLER LIVE |
| 14.25PM | BLOOD BROTHERS |
| 14.35PM | DREAMBOATS & PETTICOATS |
| 14.45PM | MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT |
| 15.00PM | THE IN-BETWEEN |
| 15.10PM | ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL |
| 15.25PM | HORRIBLE HISTORIES |
| 15.40PM | BIG ZUMBA DANCE |
| 15.55PM | EVERYTHING’S ROSIE |
| 16.05PM | SYLVIA YOUNG THEATRE SCHOOL |
| 16.20PM | NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE |
| 16.35PM | DAN AND LAURA CURTIS |
| 16.50PM | BIG DANCE |
| 17.05PM | DRAG DIVAS |
| 17.15PM | THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET |
| 17.30PM | ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – THE CRAZE |
| 17.45PM | STOMP |
| 18.00PM | SHOW ENDS |
LINKS
West End Live 2012 – Timetable for Sunday 24 June 2012
Photos of last year’s West End Live event
West End Live 2012 timetable of performances announced
June 16, 2012
The timetable has been published for West End Live, the free annual theatre event that returns to London next weekend, on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June 2012.
Back for its 8th year, this spectacular celebration of West End shows returns to Trafalgar Square and for the first time will feature every single West End musical over the two days of the event.
West End musicals taking part in the weekend include new shows Top Hat, Ragtime, Singin’ in the Rain, Spamalot, Horrible Histories, One Man, Two Guvnors, Matilda The Musical and Sweeney Todd.
They will be joined by long-running shows including Rock of Ages, Ghost The Musical, The Wizard Of Oz, Shrek The Musical, Stomp, Mamma Mia!, Disney’s The Lion King, Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, Thriller Live, Chicago, Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Blood Brothers, Dreamboats and Petticoats, and We Will Rock You.
Stars will be out in force for the event, with performances promised by some of the West End’s top talent including Ghost’s Mark Evans, We Will Rock You’s Alex Gaumond, West End favourites Louise Dearman and Daniel Boys, and the casts of all the top shows.
There will also be performances from the West End Gospel Choir, the National Youth Music Theatre, Drag Divas and much more.
Organised by Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre, in association with MasterCard, this year’s event will run from 11am to 6pm on Saturday 23 June and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday 24 June.
WEST END LIVE TIMETABLE
Saturday 23 June 2012, Trafalgar Square
| Time on Stage | Show |
| 11.00AM | TOP HAT |
| 11.10AM | RAGTIME |
| 11.20AM | WICKED |
| 11.35AM | BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL |
| 11.45AM | SWEENEY TODD |
| 11.50AM | SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN |
| 12.00PM | THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA |
| 12.10PM | LES MISERABLES |
| 12.25PM | GHOST THE MUSICAL |
| 12.35PM | CHICAGO |
| 12.50PM | WE WILL ROCK YOU |
| 13.10PM | MAMMA MIA! |
| 13.25PM | JERSEY BOYS |
| 13.45PM | ROCK OF AGES |
| 14.05PM | THRILLER LIVE |
| 14.25PM | BLOOD BROTHERS |
| 14.35PM | DREAMBOATS & PETTICOATS |
| 14.45PM | MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT |
| 15.00PM | THE IN-BETWEEN |
| 15.10PM | ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL |
| 15.25PM | HORRIBLE HISTORIES |
| 15.40PM | BIG ZUMBA DANCE |
| 15.55PM | EVERYTHING’S ROSIE |
| 16.05PM | SYLVIA YOUNG THEATRE SCHOOL |
| 16.20PM | NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE |
| 16.35PM | DAN AND LAURA CURTIS |
| 16.50PM | BIG DANCE |
| 17.05PM | DRAG DIVAS |
| 17.15PM | THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET |
| 17.30PM | ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – THE CRAZE |
| 17.45PM | STOMP |
| 18.00PM | SHOW ENDS |
Sunday 24 June 2012, Trafalgar Square
| Time on Stage | Show |
| 12.00PM | STOMP |
| 12.15PM | THE WIZARD OF OZ |
| 12.25PM | SHREK THE MUSICAL |
| 12.35PM | HAVANA RUMBA! |
| 12.50PM | DISNEY’S THE LION KING |
| 13.00PM | THRILLER LIVE |
| 13.25PM | ROCK OF AGES |
| 13.35PM | BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL |
| 13.40PM | MATILDA THE MUSICAL |
| 13.50PM | HORRIBLE HISTORIES |
| 14.05PM | EVERYTHING’S ROSIE |
| 14.10PM | MAMMA MIA! |
| 14.25PM | LOUISE DEARMAN |
| 14.40PM | MARK EVANS |
| 14.55PM | ALEX GAUMOND |
| 15.05PM | DANIEL BOYS |
| 15.15PM | JERSEY BOYS |
| 15.40PM | ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL |
| 15.55PM | BIG ZUMBA DANCE |
| 16.10PM | MARK JERMIN STAGE SCHOOL |
| 16.25PM | WEST END KIDS |
| 16.40PM | THE IN-BETWEEN |
| 16.55PM | NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE |
| 17.10PM | WEST END GOSPEL CHOIR |
| 17.30PM | CONGO FAITH HEALERS |
| 18.00PM | SHOW ENDS |
LINKS
Photos of last year’s West End Live event
Photos: Natasha Hamilton in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre
March 30, 2011
Production photos of Natasha Hamilton in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre
Former Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton has followed follow Spice Girl Melanie C into the West End playing the lead role in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre.
Hamilton, 28, is the youngest actress to play the lead role of Mrs Johnstone at the Phoenix Theatre in London. She told the Liverpool Echo that by the end of the show “I’ve been sobbing, crying my eyes out when my sons are dead on the floor. It’s just hard not to feel that emotion. The play’s so powerful and it tugs at those heart strings so much.”
Natasha joins a roll call of famous theatrical ladies who have played the part of Mrs Johnstone including Mel C, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, X-Factor runner-up Nikki Evans and most recently Maureen Noaln.
Photos by Roy Tan
LINKS
SPECIAL OFFER: Enjoy Half Price tickets to see Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre
Natasha Hamilton in Blood Brothers tonight
January 24, 2011
This week in the West End two big shows see a change of stars as Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton joins the cast of Blood Brothers, and Carina Gillespie replaces Lauren Samuels as Sandy in Grease.
Natasha Hamilton in Blood Brothers
Natasha Hamilton to star in Blood Brothers
Former Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton is to follow Spice Girl Melanie C into the West End tonight playing the lead role in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre.
Mel C scored a huge hit with the show, making the transition from pop star to stage star, and Hamilton will be hoping for more of the same.
Natasha said on her Twitter page last week that she “can’t begin to describe how tired I am” but that she had been loving every minute of the rehearsals and preparation for tonight’s first show.
Hamilton, 28, is the youngest actress to play the lead role of Mrs Johnstone at the Phoenix Theatre in London. She told the Liverpool Echo today that by the end of the show “I’ve been sobbing, crying my eyes out when my sons are dead on the floor. It’s just hard not to feel that emotion. The play’s so powerful and it tugs at those heart strings so much.”
Her husband Riad and sons Josh, Harry and baby Alfie will all be there tonight to support her in her first big acting role in the West End.
Natasha joins a roll call of famous theatrical ladies who have played the part of Mrs Johnstone including Mel C, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, X-Factor runner-up Nikki Evans and most recently Maureen Noaln.
SPECIAL OFFER: Half-price tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre
Carina Gillespie in Grease
Carina Gillespie and Matthew Goodgame in Grease. Photo: Paul Coltas.
Another West End debut is also made tonight by another Liverpudlian actress: Carina Gillespie will replace Over The Rainbow finalist Lauren Samuels this evening as Sandy in Grease. She will be joined by Matthew Goodgame as Danny.
Carina Gillespie trained at the Liverpool Theatre School and has appeared in Buddy- The Buddy Holly Story, Bloodbath- The Musical and Jack in the Beanstalk.
Also joining the cast will be Michael Pickering as Doody, who recently starred in All The Fun of the Fair at the Garrick Theatre.
SPECIAL OFFER: Save £23.50 on tickets to Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre
Free Hotel Rooms in London
January 10, 2011
Celebrate winter with our great new hotel and theatre promotion, with blockbuster shows including Love Never Dies, Legally Blonde, Priscilla, Jersey Boys and Billy Elliot.
Westendtheatre.com has partnered with 18 top London shows and a range of Central London hotels to offers visitors to the city a fabulous winter treat.
Running until the end of March 2011, you can book a free room in a central London hotel when buying a top-price theatre ticket to one of a selection of shows.
Prices start at just £45 ($70 USD / €55 Euros) per person for a three star hotel, continental breakfast and a best seat to a major West End show, based on two people sharing.
An amazing selection of big-budget West End musicals are featured in the promotion including: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to the Phantom of the Opera – Love Never Dies; Legally Blonde, based on the smash-hit movie; Tony award-winning Elton John musical Billy Elliot; a new musical adaptation of Love Story; fabulous, spectacular show Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Jersey Boys featuring the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons; Dirty Dancing; sexy, sassy Kander and Ebb show Chicago; joyous 1960s musical Dreamboats and Petticoats; Grease The Musical; Willy Russell’s powerful musical Blood Brothers; theatre, dance and percussion show Stomp; and Michael Jackson tribute show Thriller Live.
Comedy and drama included in the promotion ranges from a riotously funny adaptation of The 39 Steps, to Samantha Bond in Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, terrifying thriller The Woman in Black, and classic comedy When We Are Married.
BOOK NOW
See all shows in the promotion and book now
Terms and conditions of the promotion:
Prices are per person and based on two people sharing a twin or double room in one of our chosen Central London 3* hotels. Valid for select performances and subject to availability. Once booked, the package is non transferable and cannot be exchanged or refunded. All prices include VAT and all other transaction and booking fees. Selected shows are subject to a £5 supplement. For full terms and conditions visit www.westendtheatre.com/theatre-breaks
Evening Standard Awards – shortlist
November 22, 2010
Sheridan Smith and Elena Roger head-to-head for Evening Standard Theatre Awards
The Evening Standard has published their Theatre Awards shortlist ahead of a glitzy ceremony at the newly reopened Savoy Hotel this Sunday, 28 November.
Sophie Thompson up for Best Actress for Clybourne Park
Hosted by Stephen Fry, the 56th annual awards will see stars of stage and screen join an impressive list of nominees for this year’s event.
In the Best Actress category, in honour of Natasha Richardson, two musicals stars are pitted against each other: Sheridan Smith, in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, and Elena Roger, star of Passion at the Donmar Warehouse and soon to be Ricky Martin co-star on Broadway in Evita. They are shortlisted against Nancy Carroll for the National’s After the Dance and Sophie Thompson for the Royal Court’s Clybourne Park – a part which she will revive in the New Year for the West End transfer of the show at the Wyndham’s Theatre.
The National Theatre and the Royal Court are the producing houses to benefit most from this year’s shortlist, with 10 and 11 nods respectively. The National Theatre is celebrated for a range of productions, with Thea Sharrock (After the Dance), Nicholas Hytner (The Habit Of Art, London Assurance, Hamlet), Howard Davies for The White Guard (plus All My Sons at the Apollo) and Laurie Sansom for Beyond The Horizon and Spring Storm all vying for the Best Director award.
The Royal Court’s reputation for writing has won out again over its competitors this year, earning the venue complete dominance over both Best Play category, with nominations for Cock, Clybourne Park and Sucker Punch, and Most Promising Playwright category, with DC Moore for The Empire, Nick Payne for Wanderlust (plus If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet at the Bush) and Anya Reiss for Spur Of The Moment.
Performances of Shakespeare is the theme of this year’s Best Actor category, with Roger Allam singled out for his performance in Henry IV Parts One and Two at Shakespeare’s Globe and Rory Kinnear for two Shakespeare roles, the National Theatre’s Hamlet and the Almeida’s Measure For Measure. David Suchet also gets nod for All My Sons at the Apollo Theatre.
Best Musicals, in honour of Ned Sherrin, cover all tastes, with Legally Blonde at the Savoy, Stephen Sondheim’s Passion at the Donmar Warehouse and – despite Trevor Nunn and John Caird’s sniping over Cameron Mackintosh’s new touring production – the 2010 reinvention of Les Miserables at the Barbican Theatre.
Finally Outstanding Newcomers include a well-deserved nod to Spice Girl Mel C for Blood Brothers.
See the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2010 shortlist here
NATASHA HAMILTON in Blood Brothers
November 17, 2010
From pop star to West End star, Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton to make her London theatre debut
You know that the West End has become a trendy place to be when pop stars are queuing up to tread the boards in a London show.
Duncan James and Simon Webb from Blue in Legally Blonde and Sister Act respectively, Jason Donovan in Priscilla, the Spice Girls’ Melanie C in Blood Brothers, Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams in Chicago, Matt Willis from Busted in Flashdance, Gareth Gates in Les Miserables, Noel from Hear’Say in Grease… the list goes on and on.
And now it’s the turn of sexy Atomic Kitten Natasha Hamilton to make her way to the backstage door of the Phoenix Theatre to star in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers.
Natasha will be making her West End debut in the show, starring as lead character Mrs Johnstone, from 24 January 2011. She joins a roll call of famous theatrical ladies who have played the part of Mrs Johnstone including Mel C, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, X-Factor runner-up Nikki Evans and currently 70′s pop star Lyn Paul. Maureen Nolan will play the part from 22 November to 22 January.
Willy Russell’s dramatic musical about a pair of twins from Liverpool who are separated at birth only to cross paths later in life, has run successfully at the Phoenix Theatre since 1991 and remains one of London’s most popular and successful shows.
Hamilton is a relative newcomer to the stage, having only had one other big show under her belt: Peter Pan last year at the Liverpool Empire alongside Les Denis and Henry Winkler. Here’s hoping she follows Mel C’s success, and makes Blood Brothers the start of the next exciting chapter in her career.
Special Offer: Enjoy half-price tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London
Atomic Kitten to join Blood Brothers
November 11, 2010
Former Atomic Kitten band member Natasha Hamilton is to star in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers
Natasha Hamilton
Hot on the heels of Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, another former girl band star is to join the cast of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London.
Natasha Hamilton of Liverpool girl band Atomic Kitten will be making her West End debut in the show, starring as lead character Mrs Johnstone, from 24 January 2011.
Natasha joins a roll call of famous theatrical ladies who have played the part of Mrs Johnstone including Mel C, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, X-Factor runner-up Nikki Evans and currently 70′s pop star Lyn Paul.
Willy Russell’s dramatic musical about a pair of twins from Liverpool who are separated at birth only to cross paths later in life, has run successfully at the Phoenix Theatre since 1991 and remains one of London’s most popular and successful shows.
Hamilton’s past stage roles include Peter Pan last year at the Liverpool Empire alongside Les Denis and Henry Winkler.
Special Offer: Enjoy half-price tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London
