Touring production to visit Chelmsford with several cast returns and new faces
The touring production of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers will play at Chelmsford Theatre for five performances from Tuesday 29 September to Saturday 3 October as part of its autumn tour, producers have confirmed.
The staging is produced by Bill Kenwright and brings together a cast featuring a number of actors who have already performed in the current tour, alongside a handful of additions. Vivienne Carlyle will return to the role of Mrs Johnstone, while Kristofer Harding continues as narrator for the sections of the tour between Weston‑Super‑Mare and Chester, handing over thereafter to Richard Munday for the Birmingham to Northampton leg.
A continuing element of the show is the casting of the twin brothers, with Sean Jones and Joe Sleight again taking the roles of Mickey and Eddie. The autumn line‑up also lists Tricia Adele Turner as Mrs Lyons and Beth Danher as Linda.
New additions to the touring company include Jamil Abbasi as the neighbour, Sarah Moss as Donna Marie/Miss Jones, Amelia Poggenpoel as Brenda and Jack Anthony Smart as Perkins. Several performers are reprising roles they have already played on the tour: Tim Churchill as Mr Lyons, Michael Gillette as Sammy, Alex Harland as the policeman/teacher and Graeme Kinniburgh as the bus conductor/postman.
"The musical tells the moving story of twins separated at birth, who grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic results."
The show originated as a school performance in Liverpool in 1981 before moving to the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983 and then achieving long‑running success on the professional stage. The touring schedule preceding and following Chelmsford reflects a broad national itinerary, beginning its current run at The Playhouse Theatre in Weston‑Super‑Mare and moving on to Cambridge, Oxford, Chelmsford, Grimsby and Chester, among other towns and cities, before concluding in Northampton.
Tour routing and forthcoming spring tour
Producers have also released the broad outline of the spring 2027 tour, which will open at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend on Tuesday 12 January 2027 and runs through a long list of venues before finishing in Shrewsbury on Saturday 22 May 2027. Casting for the spring leg of the tour has not yet been announced.
| Event | Dates / Notes |
|---|---|
| Chelmsford Theatre run | 29 September – 3 October (autumn tour) |
| Autumn tour first week | Begins at The Playhouse Theatre, Weston‑Super‑Mare |
| Spring 2027 tour | Starts 12 January 2027 at Cliffs Pavilion, Southend; concludes 22 May 2027 in Shrewsbury |
Local context and what it means for Chelmsford audiences
Chelmsford Theatre regularly hosts national touring musicals and plays, and this production continues that pattern by bringing a familiar British title to the city. For regular theatre‑goers it offers the opportunity to see established performers in well‑known roles without travelling to London or larger regional venues. The mix of returning company members and newly cast actors is typical of touring shows, which adjust personnel as routes and schedules dictate.
Tickets for the Chelmsford run are expected to be in demand given the show's recognisable title and the theatre’s role as a cultural hub in the city. The announcement furnishes local audiences with the chance to plan attendance and to note that the wider tour will revisit many parts of the East of England and beyond in spring 2027.
- Production: Bill Kenwright
- Chelmsford Theatre dates: 29 September–3 October
- Principal returning cast: Vivienne Carlyle, Kristofer Harding, Sean Jones, Joe Sleight
The announcement is the latest in a series of touring productions scheduled to call at Chelmsford Theatre this season, underscoring the venue’s continuing role in delivering regional arts to local audiences.
