Lyn Paul's dream of starring in a stage musical came true in 1997 when she was offered the lead role of Mrs. Johnstone in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers. Since then she has played the part many times in the West End and at theatres around the UK.
In 2002 Lyn starred in the West End production of Boy George's musical Taboo. The following year she lent her talents to a new musical, The Biz!, by Chris Hamel-Cooke and Charles Garland. In 2007 she starred as Vi Moore in Footloose The Musical. The programmes from these productions are described below.
In February 2006 Lyn Paul rushed to the rescue at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham when Linda Nolan pulled out of the Blood Brothers tour in order to have treatment for breast cancer. Lyn continued with the tour until the end of April, returning again for three weeks in October while Linda had chemotherapy. The programmes at the following venues were all hastily altered to reflect the cast change and include Lyn's biography.
The Hexagon, Reading
27th February - 4th;March 2006
Orchard Theatre, Dartford
6th - 11th March 2006
Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
13th - 25th March 2006
The New Theatre, Cardiff
27th March - 8th April 2006
The Tameside Hippodrome, Ashton-Under-Lyne
10th - 15th April 2006
The Empire Theatre, Liverpool
17th - 29th April 2006
Civic Theatre, Darlington
2nd - 7th October
Birmingham Hippodrome
9th - 21st October
The Cast
Mrs. Johnstone
- Lyn Paul
Narrator
- Keith Burns
Mickey
- Stephen Palfreman
Eddie
- Craig Whiteley
Mrs. Lyons
- Kate McCahill
- Joanne Zorian
- Sandy Walsh
Linda
- Louise Clayton
Sammy
- Daniel Taylor
Mr. Lyons
- Jason Griffiths
- Jon De Ville
Policeman / Teacher
- Matt Slack
Donna Marie / Miss Jones
- Chloe Taylor
Perkins
- Tom Lorcan
- Simon Willmont
Neighbour
- Karl Greenwood
- Mark Hammersley
Brenda
- Lisa Taylor Roberts
- Anna Sambrooks
Bus Conductor
- Patrick Taggart
- Jonathan Black
Blood Brothers
The Empire Theatre, Liverpool
31st December 2007 - 26th January 2008
Producer Bill Kenwright staged a special production of Blood Brothers to mark Liverpool's year as European Capital Of Culture. He invited Lyn Paul to play the role of Mrs. Johnstone, commenting to the local press that of all the Mrs. Johnstones, she was probably the best.
