Coronation Street stars reunite in Lancaster to kick off new North West tour

Coronation Street stalwarts Christine Mackie from Lancaster, who plays Dr Susan Gaddas, and Sue Jenkins – who played barmaid Gloria Todd – are taking their acclaimed stage production of KIN back out on the road for 2024.

Following its debut run at The Dukes in Lancaster in 2022, KIN – written by Mackie and directed once again by Jenkins – will begin its mini autumn North West tour back at The Dukes on September 10.

Mackie wrote KIN three years ago, in her 60s, inspired by and acutely aware that little was out there for older actresses.

“I wanted to show characters that are complex and contradictory, funny and flawed, passionate and playful – all qualities sadly lacking in most representations of older women on stage and TV, when they’re either a grandma or someone interested in buying a pre-paid funeral!” she said.

“I wanted these women to BE the action of the play, not supporting it but taking centre stage and for KIN to be a really great night out in the theatre. KIN was so well received at The Dukes and I am very excited to take the show back there and then on to such fabulous new venues.”

KIN tells the story of sisters-in-law Kay and Steph who meet for the first time in years at the funeral of Robert McGregor, the most important man in both their lives. Having never been close, expectations are low.

But nothing could prepare them for the revelations that lie ahead. KIN is not two older women chatting over the vol-au-vents. It is more Game of Thrones in the Cotswalds and the gloves are off!

The all-female creative team is led by Producer Hannah Ellis-Ryan (Her Productions), Best Girl Productions, Director Sue Jenkins, and Roberta Kerr and Kerry Willison-Parry who are both reprising their roles as Kay and Steph from the production’s premiere in 2022.

Lancaster actor Kerr played Sally Haynes in Brookside, Wendy Crozier in Coronation Street – a role she reprised more recently as Wendy Papadopoulos – and Jan Glover in Emmerdale, as well as portraying several characters in Doctors.

Willison-Parry is also a former Coronation Street actress.

Downton Abbey viewers will also recognise Mackie as Mrs Bryant while Sue Jenkins is perhaps best known for her work in Coronation Street and as the iconic Jackie Corkhill in Brookside.

After opening its autumn tour at The Dukes on September 10, KIN will move on to the Queens Hall Hexham, Hull Truck, Theatr Clwyd and Alnwick Playhouse culminating in five nights at HOME in Manchester from October 29.

Dukes tickets are available at https://dukeslancaster.org/whats-on/theatre/kin