Blood Brothers Announces Autumn Casting and New Tour Dates

Bill Kenwright’s legendary, award-winning production of the international smash hit musical, Blood Brothers has announced cast for the upcoming Autumn tour which will open at The Playhouse Theatre, Weston-Super-Mare on Tuesday 8 September 2026. It also announces further dates for the 2027 Spring tour. 

Vivienne Carlyle will return to the role of Mrs Johnstone. With nightly standing ovations, Carlyle’s rendition of the finale song ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’ will be performed at the 10th Anniversary of Magic at the Musicals at the Royal Albert Hall on 20 September 2026. This concert will then be broadcast at a later date on Magic Radio. 

Kristofer Harding will reprise his role as the Narrator between Weston-Super-Mare and Chester before handing over the mantle to Richard Munday who will perform between Birmingham and Northampton. Sean Jones and Joe Sleight will continue as the twin brothers, Mickey and Eddie. 

Joining the tour will be Tricia Adele Turner as Mrs Lyons and Beth Danher as Linda.

The Autumn cast also introduces Jamil Abbasi (Neighbour), Sarah Moss (Donna Marie/Miss Jones), Amelia Poggenpoel (Brenda) and Jack Anthony Smart (Perkins). Reprising their roles will be Tim Churchill (Mr Lyons), Michael Gillette (Sammy), Alex Harland (Policeman/Teacher) and Graeme Kinniburgh (Bus Conductor/ Postman).

Following its first week at The Playhouse Theatre, Weston-Super-Mare, the tour will continue to Cambridge, Oxford, Chelmsford, Grimsby, Chester, Birmingham, Leicester, Crawley, Malvern and will conclude 2026 in Northampton. 

The 2027 Spring tour will begin at the Cliffs Pavillion in Southend on Tuesday 12 January 2027 and move to Southampton, Dartford, Sheffield, New Brighton, Cardiff, Eastbourne, Woking, Blackpool, Norwich, Billingham, Skegness, Torquay, Manchester, Croydon, Bath, Leeds before concluding in Shrewsbury on Saturday 22 May 2027. Casting for the Spring 2027 tour to be announced.

Written by award-winning playwright Willy Russell, few musicals have been received with such acclaim as the multi-award-winning Blood Brothers. Considered 'one of the best musicals ever' (Sunday Times), Bill Kenwright’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End and has been affectionately christened the ‘Standing Ovation Musical’, as inevitably it “brings the audience cheering to its feet and roaring its approval” (Daily Mail).                            

This epic tale of Liverpool life started as a play, performed at a Liverpool comprehensive school in 1981, before opening at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983. The musical has since triumphed across the globe, completing sell out seasons in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan, and scooping up four awards for Best Musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway.  

Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins separated at birth, who grow up on the opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences.  

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. 

Website: kenwright.com