Willy Russell’s award winning musical
Blood Brothers is the story of working class, single mother Mrs Johnstone and
the dilemma she faces, pregnant with twins as her rich employer offers her a
better life for one of the babies. Set
in Liverpool, the home town of its writer Willy Russell, the play began its
life as a youth theatre production in 1981. It soon became apparent that the story touched the hearts of its
audiences and Russell rewrote the play as a musical, which transferred to the
professional stage of the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983, starring Barbara
Dickson in the lead role of Mrs Johnstone. From there, its fame seemed to explode and it was transferred to the
West End in 1988 following a national tour. From that moment until now, there hasn’t been a time in British theatre
when Blood Brothers hasn’t been in production somewhere in the British Isles,
whether in the West End or on tour. The production has retained much of its
original design and many famous names of pop music and theatre have played the
roles of this iconic musical. Blood
Brothers is a real gem in the crown of British Musical theatre and this
production does not let down.
Blood Brothers holds a very
special place in my and the nation’s heart for several reasons. Personally, as a Drama teacher it is one of
the most taught scripts in high schools across the country and the kids of
today love it, which is a very special thing as we all know there isn’t a
lot they love, away from their screens! Having seen the production at least 20 times over the years, it’s hard
to understand why I’m not bored by it. Just looking around the theatre auditorium I saw masses of school students
captivated by the story, the energetic characterisation and the familiarity of the
world in which it is set. Perhaps it is
this familiarity of ‘What we the English come to know as class’ (Narrator Act
2) where we find ourselves drawn into it. There is a believability which makes you empathise with the characters more
so than the usual musical theatre productions.
The title role of this production
was played by Olivier Award nominee Linzi Hately and she brought a natural
pathos to the role which was believable and entertaining throughout the
show. Twin sons Mickey Johnstone, played
by Sean Jones and Edward Lyons, played by Mark Hutchinson were equally credible
and highly entertaining performances but these were at times hindered by some
poor sound quality from their radio microphones. This is the downside to an opening night of a
touring production but not something you would expect from a professional show
such as Blood Brothers.
One of the most pivotal roles is
the Narrator, a personification of the supernatural, a force of destiny driving
the story forward to its inevitable tragic conclusion. Much of the Narrator’s dialogue is directed
at the audience and can be somewhat over the top but this is a critique of the
writing; one of the few flaws I see in the play. I have seen many famous performers in this
role in recent productions who have not had the acting prowess to pull it off,
however in this production, the role was skilfully conveyed by Robbie Scotcher
and he created an omnipotent presence throughout the play in the most subtle
way that he could, in such a role.
The static set of the housing and
the backdrop of the Liverpool skyline has always been functional, creating an
effective contrast of the rich versus poor lives of the twins, perfectly.
Although these backdrops were used in this production, the flown-in set of the
Lyons wealthy household was not. This
was the first time I had seen the play performed in a smaller touring venue and
I’m hoping that the changes to the set had been made due to the lack of space,
rather than a new design choice. To me,
carry on set such as the sofa and plush rug on the ground just didn’t create a
sense of opulence required to show the privileged life of the other twin,
Edward.
All in all, it’s a true pleasure
to watch a play for the umpteenth time and still feel the same energy in the
performances, the same pathos for the story and the same urge to go back and
see it again. I just love this play: what it has done for British theatre but
especially how it engages the youth of today.
The tour continues nationwide until May 2018.
Reviewer - Johanna Hassouna-Smith
on - 11/9/18
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