Blood Brothers, both as a stage play and a musical, has
become firmly embedded in popular British theatre, a favourite of theatre
goers, students and scholars alike - and, as the opening show in Preston this evening proved, for a good reason.
The musical follows Mrs Johnstone (Linzi
Hateley), a struggling mother living in Liverpool in the early 1960s.
Faced with unruly children, an absentee husband and two more babies on the way,
she is forced to make a difficult decision when her wealthy boss, Mrs Lyons (Sarah
Jane Buckley), who offers to take one of the children and raise it as her own -
giving them a life that Mrs Johnstone would never be able to provide. The deal
is made, and the boys, Mickey and Eddie (played by Sean Jones and Mark
Hutchinson respectively), are separated as babies - only to find their paths
crossing again and again, almost as though fate (or perhaps something stronger)
wills them together.
Whilst both the music and book for the show are excellent in
their own right, praise is well deserved upon all members of the cast, from the
leading roles to the multi-rolling ensemble who came together to present a
truly heartfelt, engaging performance. Hateley portrayed her role with
charm and passion, making for a strangely endearing Mrs Johnstone. She was
nicely mirrored by Buckley, who portrayed Mrs Lyons in a way I have
not seen before - whilst the role typically has ‘antagonist’ written all over
it, Mrs Lyons here was not so much cruel as she was paranoid, making for a much
more sympathetic character.
Jones and Hutchinson are no strangers to the Blood
Brothers stage, having each played their respective roles multiple times. This
experience allows them to truly demonstrate the depth of their skill and
understanding of their characters. Nobody knows Mickey and Eddie more than
these performers. Their chemistry is undeniable as they flit from excited 7
(nearly eight) year olds, to boisterous teenagers to distanced adults. Special
mention must be given to Jones, whose portrayal of the adult Mickey is truly
harrowing to watch.
Danielle Corlass, in the role of Linda, again demonstrates
the power that comes with knowing the role inside and out, moving from the
excitable Linda as a child to an adult who has known hardship with ease and
comfort. Blood Brothers, however, relies just as much on the strength as the
ensemble as it does on the leading roles and the casting here was superb. The
ensemble, particularly in the childhood scenes, were full of energy, making the
performance as exciting as it was comedic and as a member of the audience, it
was clear that they were all enjoying what they were doing.
I struggled to find anything wrong with the performance and,
aside from a few technical blips, the reason for this is that there wasn't
anything wrong with it to begin with. Blood Brothers at Charter Theatre,
Preston, is a fresh, engaging and dynamic production, one which I would
definitely recommend seeing.
Reviewer - Abbie Grundy
on - 17/9/18
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