Devoted fans of the iconic ITV soap Coronation Street have launched a campaign to resurrect a forgotten stage musical based on the programme, after rediscovering its rare soundtrack online.
The Lost Love Letter to the Cobbles
The musical, titled Street of Dreams, was created as part of the show's 50th-anniversary celebrations in 2010. It began as an album named Rogues, Angels, Heroes and Fools, featuring music and lyrics by Trisha Ward and performed by the cast. The songs cleverly referenced legendary moments from the soap's rich history.
Tracks included He's My Man, which dramatised the infamous catfight between Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) and Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix). Other numbers explored storylines involving beloved characters like Jack and Vera Duckworth, the chilling serial killer Richard Hillman, and Raquel Watts. The grand finale, Eh Chuck, served as a roll call of iconic names including Gail Platt, Ken and Deirdre Barlow, Annie Walker, and Ena Sharples.
A Star-Studded But Ill-Fated Production
The album was adapted for the stage by Coronation Street scriptwriter Damon Alexis-Rochefort. Street of Dreams opened at the Manchester Arena in May 2012, boasting an impressive cast. The late Paul O'Grady took on the role of narrator, while soap stars including Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor), Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts), and Katy Cavanagh (Julie Carp) performed.
In a fascinating piece of foreshadowing, Jodie Prenger—who would later join the TV show as Rovers barmaid Glenda Shuttleworth—played Elsie Tanner in the musical, over a decade before her on-screen debut on the cobbles.
Despite its potential, the production was cancelled after just two performances and has never been restaged. The musical was not an ITV production but was licensed to Reckless Entertainment, which later became defunct. Reports at the time indicated that several cast members claimed they had not been paid for their work.
Fan Discovery Fuels Revival Hopes
The musical's rediscovery began when a fan found the original album on streaming service Spotify and shared it on Reddit. The discussion quickly turned to the show's brief and troubled history, with fans analysing what went wrong.
One fan pointed out a critical error in strategy, commenting: "I think their big mistake was that they expected it to sell out arenas rather than theatres." They added, "They really should bring it back as it's a real love letter to the history of Coronation Street. Perhaps for the 70th?"
Another fan revealed an intriguing detail: the stage show essentially only had one preview night to gauge audience reaction before planned adjustments, but a public opening never materialised.
John Ward, director of the original production company, expressed hope for a return shortly after the 2012 closure, telling The Stage that the public appetite remained strong. However, a revival has yet to materialise.
This fan-led push for the musical's return adds to a recent wave of nostalgia for rare Coronation Street content, following the surprise unveiling of a bizarre, futuristic sketch at a separate fan event last year.
