29 August – 2 September
Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers, ‘a Liverpudlian folk opera’ has been delighting audiences for over forty years. This current touring production retains much of the original, with a simple yet functional set and the action firmly rooted in the period leading up to the early 1980s. But what keeps audiences coming back?
Did you ever hear the story of the Johnstone twins?
It is the story of a woman forced to give up one of her twins as she cannot bring them up, only for the boys to become best friends – blood brothers – and ultimately to meet again with tragic consequences years later. The plot is terrific and tension gradually builds as we watch the boys’ different upbringings take them in contrasting directions, while they still hanker after mutual companionship, totally unaware of their familial bond. But surely a show needs more than that to have continued longevity?
Is the attraction because of a constant fascination with the debate about nature or nurture? Are lives pre-determined, or is it possible to become something else in life?
The music is top-notch, with fabulous songs, well placed to tell the narrative, including the classics Marilyn Monroe, That Guy and the marvellously haunting Tell Me It’s Not True at the finale. They are all well sung and staged, and never obtrusive or superfluous to the action or plot.
Maybe Blood Brothers continues to be a hit because of the brilliant mix between comedy and pathos, with much of the former coming in the opening act and the knockabout friendships personified by adult actors playing children? Searing dramatic moments also feature heavily, not least with Mrs Johnstone’s awful dilemma when giving up one of her sons to her well-to-do employer, Mrs Lyons.
Is it how Willy Russell masterfully tells us the ending right from the outset? We learn that this is a tragedy, and like Shakespearean histories we know that something awful is coming, but not quite knowing how. Both brothers are dead, but how can the story lead to this terrible finale?
Perhaps the show’s success lies in the fabulous casting that various productions have benefitted from. Niki Colwell Evans is the latest to play Mrs Johnstone and undeniably ranks as one of the best. She portrays her warmth and decency brilliantly, but it is her emotional depth that triumphs. Danny Whitehead is superb as the subtly sinister narrator, explaining how it must all end in tears.
The twins, Mickey (Sean Jones) and Eddie (Joe Sleight) complement each other perfectly in both similarity and difference. Sarah Jane Buckley convinces as the increasingly paranoid Mrs Lyons while Gemma Brodrick is equally at home playing teenage Linda and her grown up self.
Perhaps the show’s popularity is down to all these reasons, as well as the perfectly timed manner in which the writing leads to the ultimate climax. Not for nothing is Blood Brothers known as the ‘standing ovation musical’ and it doesn’t disappoint with this production. Did you hear the story of the Johnstone twins? If not, now is your chance.
★★★★☆ Bryan J Mason. 30 August 2023
