AN ACTRESS will return to her Formby roots when the Blood Brothers UK tour arrives in Liverpool.

Chloe Taylor, 24, who grew up in Alexandra Road, has been touring since the beginning of January.

The ex-Formby High School pupil, who moved to London to study theatre music at Arts Ed, will appear at Liverpool's Empire Theatre next month.

Playing Donna Marie in Willy Russell's multi award-winning musical, she has been performing at main theatres in Coventry, Nottingham, Reading and Cardiff.

Chloe said: "It's the first time I've ever been on tour and it's brilliant, even though I'm living out of a suitcase. It's one of the musicals I've killed to be in since I was young.

"I saw it at The Empire when I was young and thought it was brilliant.

"With it being a Liverpool show it means so much and the humour is great."

Before the tour, which finishes in May, she performed in Hobson's Choice at the Neptune Theatre in Liverpool.

Her work also took her to the Isle of Wight where she was in a play called Whale Music.

She started acting at six with the Lamont School of Speech & Drama until the age of 16, and was also a member of the Orphic Singers.

Her first show was Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound Of Music at Crosby Civic Hall at age nine.

She added: "That was my first show and I just knew that I wanted to do it professionally."

One of the best moments of the tour was when she understudied in a major role in Nottingham.

Her mother Sue and father Bill, who still live in Formby, went down to watch her.

Blood Brothers will be at the Empire Theatre from April 17-29, during which Chloe will be staying in Formby.

She said: "I'll get some nice cooked meals - you live on sandwiches on tour - and I'll hopefully be seeing all my old friends."