In print

These pages provide details of some of the printed publications - books, theatre programmes, newspapers and magazines - that have featured Lyn Paul during her long career.

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 and in 2011 she originated the role of Sophie in Rhinestone Mondays. In 2013, having brought the West End production of Blood Brothers to a close the year before, Lyn joined the cast of the Rufus Norris production of Cabaret for its UK tour. The programmes from these productions are described below.

UK Tour 1997

Norwich Theatre Royal
Monday, 5th - Saturday, 17th May 1997

New Theatre, Hull
Monday, 19th - Saturday, 31st May 1997

Her Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen
Monday, 2nd - Saturday, 14th June 1997

Grand Theatre, Swansea
Monday, 16th - Saturday, 28th June 1997

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
Monday, 30th June - Saturday, 12th July 1997

New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Monday, 14th July - Saturday, 2nd August 1997

The Hexagon, Reading
Monday, 25th - Saturday, 30th August 1997

Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Monday, 1st - Saturday, 13th September 1997

Hippodrome, Bristol
Monday, 15th - Saturday, 20th September 1997

UK Tour 2002

Festival Theatre, Malvern
Monday, 1st - Saturday, 6th April 2002

The Empire Theatre, Liverpool
Monday, 8th - Saturday, 20th April 2002

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.

UK Tour 2006

The Hesagon, Reading
Monday, 27th February - Saturday, 4th March 2006

Orchard Theatre, Dartford
Monday, 6th - Saturday, 11th March 2006

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
Monday, 13th - Saturday, 25th March 2006

The New Theatre, Cardiff
Monday, 27th March - Saturday, 8th April 2006

The Tameside Hippodrome, Ashton-Under-Lyne
Monday, 10th - Saturday, 15th April 2006

The Empire Theatre, Liverpool
Monday, 17th - Saturday, 29th April 2006

Civic Theatre, Darlington
Monday, 2nd - Saturday, 7th October 2006

Birmingham Hippodrome
Monday, 9th - Saturday, 21st October 2006

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.

In August 2009 producer Bill Kenwright asked Lyn Paul to join the UK touring production of Blood Brothers for two weeks while auditions were held to find a new Mrs. Johnstone. Lyn appeared at:

Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
Tuesday, 18th - Saturday, 22nd August 2009

Churchill Theatre, Bromley
Monday, 24th - Saturday, 29th August 2009

A programme was printed for Lyn's second week at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley. At the first week of shows in Bournemouth theatre-goers were only able to buy the Blood Brothers souvenir programme with an A4 cast list as an insert.

Lyn had only planned to join the touring productiion for those two weeks but when Bill Kenwright made her an offer she "couldn't refuse", Lyn flew back from Spain to re-join the cast for the remainder of the 2009 tour.

UK Tour 2009

Venue Cymru, Llandudno
Monday, 7th - Saturday, 12th September 2009

Empire Theatre, Sunderland
Monday, 14th - Saturday, 26th September 2009

Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline
Monday, 28th September - Saturday, 3rd October 2009

Grimsby Auditorium, Grimsby
Monday, 5th - Saturday, 10th October 2009

Opera House, Manchester
Monday, 12th - Saturday, 24th October 2009

Orchard Theatre, Dartford
Monday, 26th - Saturday, 31st October 2009

The Marina Theatre, Lowestoft
Monday, 2nd - Saturday, 7th November 2009

Theatre Royal, Brighton
Monday, 9th - Saturday, 14th November 2009

Leicester De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Monday, 16th - Saturday, 21st November 2009

Charter Theatre, Preston
Monday, 23rd - Saturday, 28th November 2009

Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
Monday, 30th November - Saturday, 5th December 2009

The 2010 UK touring production of Blood Brothers started in Scotland. Lyn Paul joined the company in Tunbridge Wells. Vivienne Carlyle temporarily took over the role of Mrs. Johnstone in Richmond, while Lyn recovered from a chest infection she had picked up in Bradford.

UK Tour 2010

King's Theatre, Glasgow
Monday, 1st - Saturday, 13th February 2010

Eden Court, Inverness
Monday, 15th - Saturday, 20th February 2010

Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells
Tuesday, 23rd - Saturday, 27th February 2010

Festival Theatre, Malvern
Monday, 1st - Saturday, 13th March 2010

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Monday, 15th - Saturday, 20th March 2010

Richmond Theatre, Richmond
Monday, 22nd - Saturday, 27th March 2010

Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Monday, 29th March - Saturday, 10th April 2010

Empire Theatre, Liverpool
Monday, 12th - Saturday, 24th April 2010

Bristol Hippodrome
Monday, 26th April - Saturday, 8th May 2010

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
Monday, 10th - Saturday, 22nd May 2010

Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
Monday, 31st May - Saturday, 5th June 2010

Buxton Opera House
Monday, 7th - Saturday, 19th June 2010

New Theatre, Cardiff
Monday, 21st June - Saturday, 3rd July 1010

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
Monday, 5th - Saturday, 17th July 2010

White Rock Theatre, Hastings
Monday, 19th - Saturday, 24th July 2010

Lyn Paul returned to the role of Mrs. Johnstone for the 2016 UK touring production of Blood Brothers. Other familiar faces returning to the cast included Sean Jones as Mickey, Paula Tappenden as Mrs. Lyons and Tim Churchill as Mr. Lyons. Joel Benedict made his professional debut in the role of Eddie.

UK Spring Tour 2016

Broadway Theatre, Peterborough
Tuesday, 12th - Saturday, 16th January 2016

Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
Monday, 18th - Saturday, 23rd January 2016

Richmond Theatre
Monday, 25th - Saturday, 30th January 2016

Grimsby Auditorium
Monday, 1st - Saturday, 6th February

Edinburgh Playhouse
Monday, 8th - Saturday, 13th February 2016

Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Monday, 15th - Saturday, 20th February 2016

Churchill Theatre, Bromley
Monday, 22nd - Saturday, 27th February 2016

New Theatre, Oxford
Tuesday, 1st - Saturday, 5th March 2016

Opera House, Buxton
Monday, 7th - Saturday, 12th March 2016

Lyceum Theatre, Crewe
Monday, 14th - Saturday, 19th March 2016

Princess Theatre, Torquay
Tuesday, 22nd - Saturday, 26th March 2016

Grand Theatre, Leeds
Monday, 28th March - Saturday, 2nd April 2016

Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Tuesday, 5th - Saturday, 9th April 2016

Swan Theatre, High Wycombe
Monday, 11th - Saturday, 16th April 2016

Lyn Paul continued in the role of Mrs. Johnstone when the 2016 UK tour of Blood Brothers resmued in the Autumn.

UK Autumn Tour 2016

Malvern Festival Theatre
Tuesday, 13th - Saturday, 17th September 2016

Liverpool Empire
Monday, 19th September - Saturday, 1st October 2016

Millennium Forum, Londonderry
Tuesday, 4th - Saturday, 8th October 2016

Birmingham Hippodrome
Monday, 10th - Saturday, 22nd October 2016

Billingham Forum
Tuesday, 25th - Saturday, 29th October 2016

Weymouth Pavillion
Tuesday, 1st - Saturday, 5th November 2016

Grand Opera House, York
Monday, 7th - Saturday, 12th November 2016

The Lowry, Salford
Tuesday, 15th - Saturday, 19th November 2016

Orchard Theatre, Dartford
Monday, 21st - Saturday, 26th November 2016

Theatre Royal, Brighton
Monday, 28th November - Saturday, 3rd December 2016

Lyn Paul and the cast from the Autumn tour returned to Blood Brothers for the 2017 UK Spring tour, with Lyn taking the role of Mrs. Johnstone at every venue except the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin.

UK Spring Tour 2017

New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Tuesday, 17th - Saturday, 21st January

Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
Monday, 23rd January - Saturday, 4th February 2017

Lighthouse Theatre, Poole
Monday, 6th - Saturday, 11th February 2017

Southport Theatre, Southport
Monday, 13th - Saturday, 18th February 2017

Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
Monday, 20th - Saturday, 25th February 2017

Theatre Royal, Windsor
Monday, 27th February - Saturday, 4th March 2017

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
Monday, 6th - Saturday, 11th March 2017

Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Monday, 13th - Saturday, 18th March 2017

His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen
Monday, 20th - Saturday, 25th March 2017

Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin
Tuesday, 28th March - 8th April 2017

Bristol Hippodrome
Monday, 10th - Saturday, 22nd April

Lyn Paul and the cast from the Spring tour returned to Blood Brothers for the 2017 UK Autumn tour with only three changes: Daniel Taylor took over the role of Sammy, with Amy-Jane Ollies joining as Donna Marie / Miss Jones and Andy Owens as Perkins.

UK Autumn Tour 2017

G Live, Guildford
Tuesday, 29th August - Saturday, 2nd September 2017

Kings Theatre, Glasgow
Tuesday, 5th - Saturday, 16th September 2017

Theatre Royal, Norwich
Monday, 18th - Saturday, 23rd September 2017

New Theatre, Cardiff
Monday, 25th - Saturday, 30th September 2017

Milton Keynes Theatre
Monday, 2nd - Saturday, 7th October 2017

Story House, Chester
Monday, 9th - Saturday, 14th October 2017

De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Monday, 16th - Saturday, 21st October 2017

Alhambra Theatre, Dunfirmline
Monday, 23rd - Saturday, 28th October 2017

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Monday, 30th October - Saturday, 4th November 2017

Derngate Theatre, Northampton
Monday, 6th - Saturday, 11th November 2017

Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Tuesday, 21st - Saturday, 25th November 2017

Empire Theatre, Sunderland
27th November - Saturday, 2nd December 2017

Lyn Paul returned to Blood Brothers for the fifth UK tour in a row. All-but-one of the cast from the Autumn 2017 tour joined her but newcomer Mathew Craig took over the role of the Narrator from Dean Chisnall. On 29th January, mid-way through a show in Belfast, Lyn is forced to pull out of the performance with flu, later diagnosed as bronchitis. She misses the rest of the week in Belfast but returns (too soon as it turns out) for the shows the following week in Weston Super Mare. After the opening show in Aylesbury, Lyn returns to her sick bed, missing the rest of the week in Aylesbury and the following week in Darlington.

UK Spring Tour 2018

Theatre Royal, Bath
Tuesday, 16th - Saturday, 20th January 2018

Grand Opera House, Belfast
Tuesday, 23rd January - Saturday, 3rd February 2018

Playhouse, Weston Super Mare
Tuesday, 6th - Saturday, 10th February 2018

Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury
Tuesday, 13th - Saturday, 17th February 2018

Darlington Hippodrome (formerly Civic Theatre), Darlington
Tuesday, 20th - Saturday, 24th February 2018

Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh
Monday, 5th - Saturday, 10th March 2018

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
Monday, 12th - Saturday, 17th March 2018

New Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl
Monday, 19th - Saturday, 24th March 2018

The Sands Centre, Carlisle Sands
Monday, 26th - Saturday, 31st March 2018

Queens Theatre, Barnstaple
Tuesday, 3rd - Saturday, 7th April 2018

Hall for Cornwall, Truro
Monday, 9th - Saturday, 14th April 2018

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
Monday, 16th - Saturday, 21st April 2018

Broadway Theatre, Peterborough
Monday, 23rd - Saturday, 28th April 2018

Regent Theatre, Ipswich
Monday, 30th April - Saturday, 5th May 2018

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Tuesday, 8th - Saturday, 12th May 2018

Palace Theatre, Manchester
Tuesday, 15th May - Saturday, 26th May 2018

In 2019 Bill Kenwright asked Lyn Paul to return to Blood Brothers for a farewell tour as "the definitive Mrs.Johnstone".

Ireland and UK Summer / Autumn Tour 2019

Opera House, Cork
Monday, 6th - Saturday, 24th August 2019

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
Tuesday, 27th - Saturday, 31st August 2019

Liverpool Empire
Tuesday, 3rd - Saturday, 14th September 2019

New Theatre, Cardiff
Tuesday, 17th - Saturday, 28th September 2019

Birmingham Hippodrome
Monday, 30th September - Saturday, 12th October 2019

Derby Theatre, Derby
Monday, 14th - Saturday, 19th October 2019

New Theatre, Hull
Tuesday, 22nd - Saturday, 26th October 2019

Grand Opera House, York
Monday, 28th October - Saturday, 2nd November 2019

Lyceum Theatre, Crewe
Tuesday, 5th - Saturday, 9th November 2019

White Rock Theatre, Hastings
Tuesday, 12th - Saturday, 16th November 2019

Orchard Theatre, Dartford
Tuesday, 19th - Saturday, 23rd November 2019

Sunderland Empire
Tuesday, 3rd - Saturday, 7th December 2019

Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
Tuesday, 10th - Saturday, 14th December 2019

In December 2019 Bill Kenwright asked Lyn Paul to extend her farewell tour as "the definitive Mrs.Johnstone". Lyn agreed, with the proviso that she would not travel with the tour to Ireland. Rebecca Storm played the part of Mrs. Johnstone in Dublin and Derry.

Lyn re-joined the cast in Grimsby but, sadly, these were to be the last shows of the tour. The coronovirus pandemic meant that the dates in Coventry, Wolverhampton, Woking and Lichfield were all cancelled.

Ireland and UK Spring Tour 2020

Theatre Royal, Brighton
Tuesday, 4th - Saturday, 8th February 2020

Richmond Theatre
Tuesday, 11th - Saturday, 15th February 2020

Bord Gais, Dublin
Tuesday, 18th - Saturday, 29th February 2020

Millenium Forum, Derry
Tuesday, 3rd - Saturday, 7th March 2020

Grimsby Auditorium
Tuesday, 10th - Saturday, 14th March 2020

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
Tuesday, 17th - Saturday, 21st March 2020

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
Tuesday, 24th - Saturday, 28th March 2020

New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Tuesday, 31st March - Saturday, 4th April 2020

Garrick Theatre, Lichfield
Tuesday, 7th - Saturday, 11th April 2020

On 28th July 2021 Lyn Paul announced that she was returning to complete her Farewell Tour as "the definitive Mrs. Johnstone": "Absolutely thrilled to announce that I will be playing Mrs. Johnstone in 'Blood Brothers' one last time, finishing my 22 years with this wonderful show. COVID stopped us last March, ‘Nothings gonna stop us now’!!!" (Twitter, )28th June 2021, 11:31pm). The 2021 tour opened at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth on 14th August - a day later than originally planned due to the mass shooting that occured in Plymouth on 12th August.

Andy McIntosh joined the cast as Perkins and Matt Slack returned as Policeman / Teacher, roles that the late Graham Martin had made his own. Commenting on Twitter, Lyn Paul wrote: "Coming back to 'Blood Brothers' after the loss of our dearest friend and colleague Graham Martin was always going to be difficult but thanks to @BKL_Productions giving us the wonderful @TheMattSlack it has made it a lot easier to handle. Grah would have loved it!!" (Twitter, 19th August, 2:02am)

UK Tour 2021

Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Friday, 13th - Saturday, 21st August 2021

New Theatre, Oxford
Tuesday, 31st August - Saturday, 4th September 2021

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Tuesday, 7th - Saturday, 11th September 2021

Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Tuesday, 14th - Saturday, 18th September 2021

Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne
Tuesday, 21st - Saturday, 25th September 2021

Storyhouse, Chester
Tuesday, 28th September - Saturday, 2nd October 2021

King's Theatre, Glasgow
Tuesday, 5th - Saturday, 9th October 2021

Edinburgh Playhouse
Tuesday, 12th - Saturday, 16th October 2021

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Tuesday, 19th - Saturday, 23rd October 2021

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
Tuesday, 26th - Saturday, 30th October 2021

Birmingham Hippodrome
Tuesday, 2nd - Saturday, 13th November 2021

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
Tuesday, 16th - Saturday, 20th November 2021

New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Tuesday, 23rd - Saturday, 27th November 2021