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Theatre review: Nigel Legg reviews Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers at the Bristol Hippodrome

This is a well written and constructed show, which deserves the many awards it has won, starting with the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 1983. This production, directed by Bill Thompson and Bill Kenwright, has an excellent cast who performed well in ensemble, small group, and solo numbers.

This is a tragic story of twin brothers brought up at opposite ends of the social scale in Liverpool, but ending is heralded in the opening, and there is enough lightness in the first act to counteract the darkness of the second.

Lyn Paul, who played Mrs Johnstone, the twins mother, first achieved fame with New Seekers, who reached number 1 with “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” in 1971. After nearly forty years of professional singing, she still has a fantastic voice, and good acting ability. Her performance of “Marilyn Monroe”, much reprised through the performance, provided a strong part of the emotional backdrop to the show.

Sean Jones, playing Mickey, the twin who stayed with his mother, is wonderful in the early scenes; I would say his best scene is his first, where he acts a seven year old boy (with the wonderful line, “I’m not seven, I’m nearly eight”). For an adult to carry off this kind of scene requires considerable skill, and credit should also go to Daniel Taylor (Sammy, Mickey’s older brother), Paul Davies (Eddie, the brother who was given away), and Kelly-Ann Gower (Linda, the girlfriend).

The book has a wonderful lyrical, poetic quality, and the Narrator’s part, played by Robbie Scotcher, drives the story forward through the twins’ childhood, adolescence and early adult life. His powerful voice, especially in Shoes upon the Table, drives home the central themes of the play – separation and guilt.

The balance between the band and the singers was sometimes not quite right. During the closing number, Tell Me it’s not True, it was hard to make out the words over the noise from the pit. The effects were occasionally distracting, as in Eddie’s song, I’m not Saying a Word, but overall the music was powerful and well performed.

Last but not least, I must mention the set; for scene changes, a series of flats were lowered from on high, or pushed out from the wings, to produce the street scene, the countryside, Eddie’s new family’s drawing room, and, in the final scene, the council chamber. All of these were made with obvious care, and the overall effect was good.

The dancing and movement of the cast had to fit closely with the changes of the set around them; at times, from where I was sitting, it appeared that some would be on the wrong side of a flat dropping from on high, but everything was carefully blocked and the dancing superb.

This story of twins separated at birth and the tragic consequences that follow is a moving, thought provoking, and entertaining show, which has been well performed and produced. Coupled with fantastic singing and dancing, it’s definitely worth seeing.

Blood Brothers at the Bristol Hippodrome runs until 08 May

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