West End show set for town’s stage

An award-winning West End musical is to take to the stage at Newark’s Palace Theatre this Autumn — in a first for the venue.

Bill Kenwright Ltd’s legendary production of the international smash hit musical, Blood Brothers, will be at the Appletongate venue from October 22 to 26, after selling out houses across the country in recent years.

The Palace Theatre and Newark and Sherwood District Council are ‘delighted’ that the musical is coming to town and state the theatre is the ‘perfect venue’ for this epic production, written by award-winning playwright Willy Russell.

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

Events centre around Mrs Johnstone, a young mother, deserted by her husband and left to her own devices to provide for seven hungry children who 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 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.

Two different environments take the twins on opposite sides of the social spectrum and when they meet again, love has a part to play in their destiny but also tears them apart.

It will be the first time that a West End musical has graced The Palace Theatre’s stage, and audiences should prepare to laugh and cry as the cast take them through a roller coaster of emotions.

Full casting will be announced at a later date.

Rowan Cozens said: “This is big news for Newark. The Palace Theatre is the heart of the community which has performed many wonderful shows, but we are very excited that for the first time ever, a touring West End musical will be performed on its beautiful art deco stage.

“Blood Brothers is a show you must see once in your lifetime. It is a timeless classic which helps us understand inequality and justice. As one of the West End’s longest running shows, we are proud to welcome Blood Brothers to Newark. It looks set to be an unmissable event for townsfolk but also for local schools who are studying the play on the national curriculum.”

Few musicals have been received with such acclaim as the multi-award-winning Blood Brothers.

Considered 'one of the best musicals ever written' (Sunday Times), Bill Kenwright Ltd’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End, one of only three musicals ever to achieve that milestone, and it 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 started as a play, performed at a local comprehensive school in 1981, before opening at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983 and as well as storming the West End stage, it has triumphed across the globe. It completed sell out seasons in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan, and scooped up four awards for Best Musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway.

The score includes A Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It's Not True.

Tickets are on sale now on The Palace Theatre’s website.

The show begins at 7.30pm with opening night on Tuesday, October 22, and will run until October 26 . There will be five evening productions and a Saturday matinee.