Blood Brothers Musical Comes To Storyhouse This Autumn

BILL Kenwright's award winning production of international smash hit musical:- 'Blood Brothers' comes to:- Storyhouse next month, as part of a major UK tour.

The legendary tale of nature verses nurture visits the Chester cultural venue, from:- Tuesday, 13 October to Saturday, 17 October 2026, with tickets costing from:- �24.75 for Storyhouse Members.

Vivienne Carlyle returns to the role of Mrs Johnstone while Kristofer Harding will appear as the Narrator. Audience favourites Sean Jones and Joe Sleight will star as the Johnstone twins Mickey and Eddie.

Written by Willy Russell, few musicals have been received with as much acclaim as:- 'Blood Brothers.' Considered:- '1 of the best musicals ever' (Sunday Times), Bill Kenwright's production surpassed 10,000 performances in the 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).

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

When Mrs Johnstone is deserted by her husband and left to provide for seven hungry children, she takes a job as a housekeeper to make ends meet. Discovering she is pregnant again, and this time with twins, in a moment of weakness and desperation she makes a secret pact with her employer; 1 which leads, inexorably, to the show's shattering climax.

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

Willy Russell is one of this country's leading contemporary dramatists. His other credits include:- Educating Rita, originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, which enjoyed a two-year run in the West End and was subsequently turned into a film starring:- Julie Walters and Michael Caine; stage and screen favourite:- Shirley Valentine; Our Day Out; Stags and Hens; Breezeblock Park and John Paul, George, Ringo� and Bert.

The Blood Brothers touring cast also includes:- Tricia Adele Turner as Mrs Lyons, Tim Churchill as Mr Lyons, Beth Danher as Linda, Michael Gillette as Sammy, Sarah Moss as Donna Marie / Miss Jones, Amelia Poggenpoel as Brenda, Jack Anthony Smart as Perkins, Jamil Abbasi as Neighbour, Alex Harland as Teacher / Policeman and Graeme Kinniburgh as Bus Conductor / Postman.

The musical is directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, with Tim Churchill as Resident Director, and Matt Malone is Music Supervisor. It has set and costumes by Andy Walmsley, with sound by Dan Samson and lighting by Nick Richings.

For more details visit:- StoryHouse.Com.

UK Hospitals invited to join new national initiative celebrating nurses

A new national initiative celebrating nurses and the vital contribution they make to patients and families has been launched for the Hospital community at Springfield Park, next to Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool.

Nurses Community Connect, created by charity the Rapid Relief Team UK (RRT), brought together nurses, patients and family members for a day of recognition, connection and celebration.

Following the inaugural event, Hospitals across the UK are now being invited to register their interest in working with RRT to host a Nurses Community Connect event of their own.

Over the course of the day, 100 RRT volunteers served 4,000 hot meals from the charity's Red Tents and handed out specially prepared gift packs to nurses, children and families. These included items such as wireless earbuds, a wash bag and overnight travel set, and high energy snack packs.

Other charities, including:- ANDYSMANCLUB, the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF), The Grace Trust, and Alder Hey Children's Charity, joined the event's Help Hub to share information about their services and speak to families. Additional stands from Jumping Jacks offered balloon animals to children, and Liverpool City Council also shared health and wellbeing information with the attendees.

Nurses, patients and families also spent time with Police Wellbeing Dogs and enjoyed:- ice creams, relaxation spaces, Alder Hey's human fruit machine and had the chance to meet Alder Hey Children's Charity's elephant mascot, giving them a welcome break from the pressure of Hospital life.

RRT launched Nurses Community Connect as nursing teams across the country continue to face intense pressure. Recent Royal College of Nursing research found that more than three-quarters of nursing staff felt emotionally exhausted at the end of their last shift.

The initiative follows the success of RRT's A&E Appreciation Week, in 2025, when the charity hosted over 100 coffee and cake events at Hospitals across the country. Made up of volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, the RRT also regularly recognises healthcare workers on occasions such as:- International Nurses Day, and provides practical support following major incidents, including the Southport tragedy.

The RRT now hopes to work with Hospitals in other parts of the UK to develop Nurses Community Connect into a national programme that recognises the contribution nurses make to their communities.

Hospitals interested in hosting a future Nurses Community Connect event can register their interest at:- RRTGlobal.Org.

Ian Thewlis, RRT Liverpool Team Leader, said:- "Nurses care for people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives, while also working under enormous pressure. Nurses Community Connect gives us an opportunity to return some of that care and show nurses how much people value everything they do. It was wonderful to see nurses come together with patients and families at Alder Hey and take some time away from their usual routines. A hot meal or a small gift may seem simple, but we hope it showed every nurse who attended that their hard work and compassion do not go unnoticed.We would love to scale this initiative and are keen to hear from other Hospitals that want to work with us to bring Nurses Community Connect to their own staff, patients and families."

John Grinnell, CEO at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, said:- "Our heartfelt thanks go to RRT and everyone whose generosity and support have made this wonderful event possible. Bringing together staff, families and the community in this way is incredibly meaningful. It provides a unique opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding commitment of our staff, whose hard work and dedication make a difference every single day. Seeing them appreciated in this way is truly special."

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Blood Brothers Musical Comes To Storyhouse This Autumn

UK Hospitals invited to join new national initiative celebrating nurses