Blood Brothers musical in Chesterfield will star Niki Cowell Evans

The story of a hard-up single mum forced to give away one of her children in order to give him a better life will be hosted at the Winding Wheel Theatre from January 24 to 28, 2023. Niki is familiar with the role, having toured the country in Blood Brothers last year which included a stop-off at Derby Theatre.She first played Mrs Johnstone in 2008, a year after she rose to fame on The X Factor where she reached the semi-final. At that time she had never been in a musical so when she was called by producer Bill Kenwright she repeatedly turned down his invitation to audition.Bill’s persuasion won through and a week after Niki auditioned she was on stage in the Phoenix Theatre.Niki can relate to the financial struggles that Mrs Johnstone has. She grew up on a council estate and was part of a family of four that had no money and a tough cookie as a mum. Niki said: “You didn’t mess with her and that’s how I thought Mrs J. was or at least that she was how I was, like ‘Don’t mess with my kids or I’ll come at you with a baseball bat’ But now I’m older, I’ve mellowed.”

Mum-of-two Niki, whose sons are from a previous marriage, married Duane Cowell in 2022.

She worked in a factory during Covid lockdown because she didn’t want lose her house. She said: “I’m a working mum and I have to pay bills. Then when theatre came back it was just amazing.“I did two shows post-lockdown, namely Girls Just Wanna Have Fun on tour and the panto Peter Pan at the Wycombe Swan before going straight into Blood Brothers after just two days off. That first time I got back on stage I was petrified because I hadn’t done it for two years. All your insecurities come back. But the feedback from the audience, the love and the warmth - I can’t tell you what it means and how it feels.”

Tickets are priced from £31 for Blood Brothers at the Winding Wheel. Go to www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk or call 01246 345222.