Veteran performer Lyn Paul spoke to the ECHO about Blood Brothers, memories of Bill Kenwright and her upcoming performance at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre
Veteran performer Lyn Paul spoke to the ECHO about Blood Brothers, memories of Bill Kenwright and her upcoming performance at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre
Lyn Paul is a legend of the stage. The 76-year-old shot to stardom as a member of the New Seekers in the ’70s and hasn’t stopped performing ever since. She’s had a solo career, found theatrical success, and appeared on multiple television shows.
The veteran performer, who is from Wythenshawe in Manchester, also has a special connection with Liverpool. She was a favourite performer of Wavertree-born theatre producer Bill Kenwright, after taking on the matriarchal lead role of Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers.
Now, Lyn is set to return to the Liverpool Empire stage as Bird Woman in musical Mary Poppins. Lyn told the ECHO: “It’s just one of the best shows I’ve ever been lucky enough to be involved in. It’s magical and it’s a hell of a spectacle. It’s just an absolute joy to be involved.
“She’s [Bird Woman] just a very grounded character who is actually brought in by Mary Poppins to help reintroduce them to the family values and teach them how a family should function and not to judge a book by its cover.
“It’s just a lovely, grounded character to play, you know. And the song, of course, is iconic. So I love singing the song, especially with the children [in the cast] because the children are just incredibly talented and wonderful actors. They always say don’t work with children and animals. Well, I can tell you that is not true. These children are amazing. So it’s lovely to be able to work with them too.”
Lyn says she loved the musical long before she joined the cast of Mary Poppins, and has special memories of watching the classic 1964 film with her son. Lyn said: “He’s 36 now, but of course we watched it when he was little so we’ve always had a soft spot for it.”
But it won’t just be the show itself that brings back happy memories for Lyn. The performer has appeared at the Empire many times throughout her stage career.
Lyn added: “Liverpool’s like a second home to me. I’ve been going there for so many years, working at the Empire, and I always stay at the same apartment. So it’s just like going home. And the Liverpudlians have just accepted me with open arms. Not only are they terrific people, but they’re great audiences because they want to enjoy themselves.
“So they go to a show, not hoping it’s going to be good but knowing it’s going to be good because they’re going to just do their level best to enjoy it. You can’t ask for any more from an audience.
“I’ve got so many friends that I’ve made over the years there, so many. I wouldn’t even know where to start, but it’s just lovely to come back. And as I say, to have my son who’s grown up. I mean, he started going to Liverpool when he was eight-years-old with the shows. So you can imagine the memories he’s got.”
Her iconic performance as Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers has stuck with her throughout her career. She debuted in the part at the West End in 1997, but has continued to perform in the role. Bill Kenwright, who produced Blood Brothers, chose Lyn to star as ‘Mrs J’ when the show closed its West End run in 2012, something Lyn describes as a “privilege and an honour”. Her last performance in the show was in 2021.
She said: “Bill changed my life. Bill Kenwright gave me a whole new career later in life and completely changed it. I mean, I wrote to him asking him, ‘would he see me for the role of Mrs J?’ He sent me a letter by return post, and three weeks later I was on the Phoenix stage waiting to start rehearsals in London.
“He took such a massive gamble on me. It was unbelievable and he changed my life. But not just mine. He was wonderful with my family. My boys got to go to the football all the time. So they had a better time than I was working and they’re at the football. So they loved it. It has left such a huge mark on me and he’s very much missed. I can’t thank him enough for everything he did for me.
“[Blood Brothers] will always stand the test of time because it’s such a real show. And it talks about real problems, real joys. And it talks about the everyday person, the things that everybody goes through.
“I remember getting a letter from a lady once, and she said that she had a son that was in jail. She said watching the prison scene, it was so real. She said it upset her terribly because it was so real. There’s always something in Blood Brothers that people can relate to.
She added: “Bill gave me that role. He really gave me such a career from that role because he kept bringing me back. I mean, nobody, I don’t expect anybody will still be doing it at 72.
“I said to him ‘Bill I’m too old’ and he’d say ‘just do it once more, just do it once more for me, just do it once more’. So I couldn’t resist because he’d changed my life.”
Mary Poppins runs at the Liverpool Empire Theatre from Wednesday, January 14 until Saturday, January 31 2026.
