BLOOD BROTHERS CHALLENGE
from an article in The Birmingham Evening News

Brotherly Love
Theatre nut Julie Wakefield reckons the stage is in her blood...well, Blood Brothers at least.

Julie can arguably claim to be the show's biggest fan having seen it an incredible 2,000 times.

The 39-year-old magistrates court worker has travelled the length and breadth of Britain to see the show, spending thousands in the process.

And she plans to see almost every performance during its two week run at Birmingham Hippodrome.

Admitting to being an "avid and obsessive fan", Julie is challenging Evening Mail readers to beat her record.

Julie, of Stoneleigh Road, Solihull, first saw the show at Warwick University in November 1988 - and has been a fan ever since.

Written by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers tells the story of two sons separated at birth whose paths cross again as adults with tragic consequences.

Their mother, Mrs Johnstone, is currently played by former Nolan Sister Linda Nolan.

A worldwide hit, the show has been touring for 16 years and Julie ensures she is at as many performances as possible.

"It was the first musical I saw and I loved it. It has got everything and appeals to everybody," she says. "It just gets better and better each time I see it.

"Every show is different. There may be very little differences or sometimes things go wrong. It also depends on the venue and the audience. For instance seeing it at Derby Playhouse is very different from seeing it at the Hippodrome."

And Julie ensures she always has the best seats in the house.

"Front row is what I like," she says. "I have lost count of what it has cost because all the tickets are different prices but I must have spent thousands and thousands of pounds. I tend to go to it wherever it is and sometimes I stay overnight. I usually go on my own although my mum has probably seen it about 15 times.

"You do tend to see other people there though who you have seen at other shows. I know of people who have seen it 15 or 20 times but I have never met anyone who has seen it more than 2,000." Julie is now well-known to the cast, who have met her often.

And keen to ensure her unbeaten run, she has already snapped up her Birmingham tickets where the show plays until next weekend.

"I love musicals," she says. "I have also seen Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, the Queen musical We Will Rock You and the Rod Stewart musical Tonight's The Night is also fantastic although I have only seen that three or four times - so far."

Dianne Parkes - Evening Mail - 23rd October 2004