I have been campaigning for a West End revival of Blood Brothers for years and I think Sheridan Smith is perfect to play Mrs Johnstone.
Blood Brothers the musical was last seen in the West End in 2012 at the Phoenix Theatre, where Stranger Things: The First Shadow has just announced it will close in London’s West End at the Phoenix Theatre on 27 December 2026 after three years in London.
2027 will mark 15 years since Blood Brothers played at the Phoenix Theatre and I am manifesting an anniversary return!
About Blood Brothers
Willy Russell‘s iconic musical Blood Brothers is an epic tale of Liverpool life, which started out as a play, performed at a Liverpool comprehensive school in 1981, before opening at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983 and then immediately transferring to the West End.
Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins separated at birth, who grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences.
When Mrs Johnstone, a young mother, is deserted by her husband and left to provide for seven hungry children on her own, she takes a job as a housekeeper to make ends meet. It is not long before her brittle world crashes around her when she discovers she is pregnant yet again, this time with twins.
In a moment of weakness and desperation, she enters a secret pact with her employer that leads inexorably to the show’s shattering climax.
Blood Brothers Review, Richmond Theatre ★★★★★ (May 2026)
About Sheridan Smith
Sheridan Smith is one of the most celebrated stage actresses of her generation, with two Olivier Awards to her name and a track record of taking on demanding roles and making them her own.
Her West End breakthrough came with Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre, 2010), where she played Elle Woods, introducing the world to her comedic and vocal talents.
Following Legally Blonde, Sheridan starred in Flare Path (at Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2011), Terence Rattigan’s wartime play, showing that she was not just a musical theatre performer but a serious dramatic actress, winning the Olivier Award for Best Actress.
Her most iconic stage role came with Funny Girl (Menier Chocolate Factory, transferring to the Savoy Theatre, 2015–16), playing Fanny Brice. The production won her second Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Earlier this year, Sheridan was seen in Woman In Mind at the Duke of York’s Theatre, playing a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
