[angelfan]

Is there a website for performers where you can find out about their career? I saw Blood Brothers today in Glasgow and an actress called Vivian Carlyle has taken over from Linda Nolan as Mrs Johnstone. However Vivian is not an understudy so doesn't feature in the current programme. As such I'd like to know more about her career prior to this production of Blood Brothers.

[Alison]

Vivienne is covering for Linda Nolan while she's out of the show due to her husband's death. Linda may or may not be back next week in Edinburgh - the cast were supposed to be finding out yesterday.

If you bought a programme, you should have received a paper insert with Vivienne's headshot and bio on. If you don't have one, I can type it out for you if you want.

[angelfan]

There was no paper insert for Vivienne's bio. Usually you do get one when an understudy or alternate is on. If you have time to write out Vivienne's bio I'd be interested to read it.

[Biddy]

Kenwright.com sometimes has clickable Cast Biographies (Blood Brothers is a Kenwright Tour) -
though I see the site's currently being revamped (seemingly 2months till it re-launches?),
& cached pages (or at least the one I found, retrieved as per Oct 6th) doesn't mention the actress you're seeking.

However, a Search Engine, eg Google, for her name which is usually spelt "Vivienne Carlyle"
should produce lots of links to try
(including many from when she was a Narrator of Joseph, which is where I'd heard her name before).

Evening Times Interview with Vivienne Carlyle re taking over the lead role in Blood Brothers

----------------------------

As Kenwright.com doesn't seem quite up to date,
please will someone let me know which actors are currently playing the Narrator, & Mickey, & Mr Lyons, on TOUR?

The cached Kenwright.com page lists the following for those roles on Tour -

Craig Price (Narrator)
Stephen Palfreman (Mickey)
Jon de Ville (Mr Lyons/us Narrator)

However, I know Craig Price has recently moved into the London Cast.

(I'm interested in Jon de Ville because he trained as an actor here in Cardiff, at RWCMD -
I've seen him in a number of shows then and since.)

[Alison]

Heh, you tried exactly the same thing I did, Biddy (and I was not impressed when I discovered the Kenwright site is supposedly down for so long). Sometimes it being out of date can be useful though - I certainly found it interesting to see the complete BB cast list from before the cast changed. Looks like Linda Nolan, Daniel Taylor and Simon Willmont are the only ones who've stayed.

Current Tour Cast:

Mrs. Johnstone: Vivienne Carlyle (stand in)
Narrator: Keith Burns
Mickey: Antony Costa
Eddie: Simon Willmont
Mrs. Lyons: Caroline Hartley
Linda: Nicola Daley
Sammy: Daniel Taylor
Mr. Lyons: Russell-Leighton Dixon

Ensemble:
Andy Brady
Jamie Evans
John Jo Flynn
Graham Martin
Christina Marley
Lisa Taylor Roberts

[angelfan]

Thanks for the info. I don't mean this as anything against Linda Nolan (especially with the recent loss of her husband) but it was good to see someone else play Mrs Johstone. I've seen Linda, Bernie and Denise Nolan play the part. I originally saw the late Stephanie Laurence. Of the Nolan sisters I thought Bernie was the best.

[M George]

Thanks for the info. I don't mean this as anything against Linda Nolan (especially with the recent loss of her husband) but it was good to see someone else play Mrs Johstone. I've seen Linda, Bernie and Denise Nolan play the part. I originally saw the late Stephanie Laurence. Of the Nolan sisters I thought Bernie was the best.

Yes, I was very impressed with Bernie Nolan but no performance has ever come close to that of Stpehanie Lawrence. She brought the house down in Liverpool on the night I saw her do it. She was fantastic!

[angelfan]

I was pleased to learn that Vivienne's a fellow Scot.

Have to say I wasn't keen on Keith Burns as the Narrator. His vocal gymnastics made it very difficult to understand what he was actually singing. Obviously having seen the show several times I know what the lyrics are but I heard a few other people in the audience saying they couldn't understand him.

[angelfan]

Thanks for the info. I knew I recognised the name from somewhere. I saw her in Tommy.