Coronation Street and Emmerdale icons Katherine Dow Blyton and Bill Fellows are starring in Gerry & Sewell, a tragicomedy about two Newcastle United fans in Gateshead. The play is currently running at London’s Aldwych Theatre until 24 January, before moving to Newcastle Theatre Royal in June.
Blyton, who played vicar Harriet Fincher in Emmerdale until 2022, portrays Mrs McCarten, the long-suffering mother of one of the leads. Fellows, known for his recent stint as Stu Carpenter on Corrie and for appearing in Ted Lasso, takes on the role of her abusive husband. The play, adapted from the film Purely Belter, blends song, dance, comedy and dark family drama.
Despite its football backdrop, Blyton said: “It’s not really a story about the footie… It’s about the bonds of family, struggle, shame, love – and holding onto hope, when all hope seems gone.” The gala performance featured a rousing football chant, with the audience given black and white flags. Vera star Brenda Blethyn was among the attendees.
The production, by Jamie Eastlake, began life in a 60-seater social club in north Tyneside in 2022. It is now enjoying a West End run, with its themes of social austerity and regional spirit remaining intact. Blyton, a North Shields native, added: “I recognise so much of the spirit of its characters, how they speak and deal with what life throws their way.”
