Bonnie and Clyde are 'most wanted' as they make Sunderland Empire debut

Delinquent duo Bonnie and Clyde have rolled into Sunderland Empire.

The musical based on the criminal pair who ran riot in Depression-era America is making its Wearside debut all this week.

Katie Tonkinson steps into the shoes of Bonnie Parker with Alex James-Hatton at her side as Clyde Barrow.

Joining them on stage in the first UK tour of the show is Coronation Street and Strictly Come Dancing star Catherine Tyldesley, making her musical theatre debut as Blanche Barrow.

Catherine, who plays Clyde's sister-in-law, has been approached to do musicals before, but says this one stood out.

"I had to be really in love with something for me to leave the children for that amount of time," said the mother-of-two.

Then she says she heard Blanche's big number That's What You Call A Dream and was hooked.

"Me and my husband [Tom Pitfield] got one verse in and he looked at me and went 'Oh my God, you have to do this show.'

Catherine, 40, listened to the rest of the music and said: "I was 100% in. I fell in love with it and I knew that this was the one musical I had to do. I've been extremely lucky with film and television but I've waited a long time for this."

Married to Clyde's elder brother Buck, Blanche reluctantly became part of the bank-robbing Barrow Gang and was the only member of the core group to survive, later serving a prison sentence for assault with intent to kill.

Delving into Blanche's diaries, the actress was interested to learn she also tried to get Clyde to see the light. "But there's a turning point mid-show where she realises that he is past all help. In her diaries she writes 'I tried to help Clyde, I tried to help Bonnie' but they were just unreachable."

The UK & Ireland tour follows hot on the heels of two hell-raising hit seasons in London’s West End at the Arts Theatre and the Garrick Theatre.

• Bonnie & Clyde is at Sunderland Empire until Saturday, March 23. Tickets available from £13 at ATGTickets.com/Sunderland