Blood Brothers favourite Lyn Paul on returning to her Liverpool second home with Mary Poppins

To Liverpool theatregoers, Lyn Paul will probably forever be Blood Brothers’ Mrs Johnstone, bringing audiences to their feet and to tears for more than 20 years.

But this January she’ll be back on the Empire stage in a very different role, and this time she promises there’ll be nothing but joy.

Lyn has joined the cast of the multi award-winning musical Mary Poppins as Bird Woman, which means she gets one of the shows most famous songs, Feed the Birds (Tuppence A Bag).

As the tour prepares to arrive in Liverpool from January 14, she says audiences are in for an absolute New Year treat.

“Not only is it the most wonderful show to be involved in, it’s a hell of a spectacle. It’s really remarkable and I’m just thrilled to bits to be a part of it.

“I’ve never manifested in my life but I manifested like crazy to get this role, it’s like a dream come true. The talent that’s on this stage is outrageous, when I first saw them in rehearsals I just sat there and it was extraordinary to watch. 

“The show is all about hope and positivity, from the minute the curtain goes up right to the very end, it has such a positive vibe. 

“I think it’s what’s needed now and it’s also reintroducing family values as well. It’s saying, life is short, enjoy it while you can with each other as a family, so it has a lovely message throughout.

“I have to say, without giving anything away, the very end of Mary Poppins always brings me to tears, but they’re just happy ‘I can’t believe what I’m seeing’ tears.”

Lyn, who’s now in her mid-70s, was a member of The New Seekers in the 1970s, who had a string of hits including the Grammy nominated ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)’ which sold over 28 million copies. 

After leaving the group, she enjoyed a successful career as a solo artist before she transitioned into musical theatre. Although she’s gone on to other highly successful productions like Calendar Girls, Cabaret, and Taboo, it was her lead role in Blood Brothers which really shaped Lyn’s stage career.

She’s been voted the definitive Mrs Johnstone and reprised the role regularly over 23 years on tour and in the West End.

“It’s a joy and a privilege to be associated with Blood Brothers,” says Lyn, “and it’s all down to Bill Kenwright. I wrote to him and asked him if he’d consider auditioning me for the role of Mrs Johnstone even though I didn’t have a Liverpudlian accent. 

“I got a letter by return post just saying, don’t worry about the accent, I want to see you, and three weeks later I was on the stage in London waiting to rehearse. He just took the biggest gamble because he didn’t know what I could do. 

“Everything that’s happened in my life since I met him is all because of him. He gave me a whole new career and he looked after my family in so many ways, so he was a very big presence and he’s very much missed.”

It was Willy Russell’s musical which introduced her to Liverpool theatregoers and began a relationship that’s lasted well over two decades.

“Liverpudlians are so open about life and about everything, and accepting, they just come to shows wanting to enjoy themselves and that’s fabulous,” she says.

“We’re in Liverpool for three weeks with Mary Poppins and I think they’re all going to want to watch this gorgeous spectacle.

“I’ve been to the city so often it feels like my second home. I stay in the same apartment every time and I always go into Ma Egerton’s. I’ve got lots of friends in Liverpool and the people have just accepted with me with their hearts.”

Mary Poppins is at the Liverpool Empire from January 14 to January 31. 

Book your tickets on the Liverpool Empire website.

Find out more about the show here.

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