Raw, real and riveting, Blood Brothers still hits you hard no matter how many times you’ve seen it.
While other musicals rely on razzle dazzle and OTT special effects to wow audiences, often to cover up pitfalls elsewhere, Blood Brothers’ has quietly established itself as one British theatre's greatest shows without the need for any big budget brashness.
The success of Blood Brothers is in its heart, it’s grit and its story, which can’t fail to evoke every single emotion as you see it play out. The tale of twins separated at birth, who become best friends whilst unaware of each other’s existence is one that brings warmth, angst and tragedy and the current UK tour cast, who opened at Sunderland Empire on Tuesday, so an absolutely phenomenal job in making sure the shoe packs a punch.
While there aren’t any big showstoppers numbers in Blood Brothers, it’s score is still superb and you’d struggle to find a more emotional song in the realms of musical theatre than Tell Me It’s Not True.
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That final song encompasses everything that’s at the core of Blood Brothers’ being. It’s fraught, it’s incredibly emotional and doesn’t half pull at the heartstrings.
The woman responsible for delivering the stunning piece of music is Niki Colwell Evans, in the role of Mrs Johnstone. The powerhouse vocals that saw Niki all the way to the semi finals of The X Factor in 2007 are still very much present and correct, but they’re only the tip of the iceberg as far as Niki’s stupendously good interpretation of the iconic role goes. When you see Niki play Mrs Johnstone it never for even a second feels like you’re watching someone just acting out a part.
Niki’s authentic performance makes you believe that she is the mother who is still laden with guilty and agony at giving one of her son’s away, what always trying to do the best by her family. This was my fifth time seeing Blood Brothers and on each occasion a different actress has played Mrs Johnstone. Without any shadow of the doubt Niki is the best, giving a star turn that audiences should feel privileged to witness.
Blood Brothers’ current cast is an embarrassment of riches as far as fine actors are concerned. Sean Jones has been playing Mickey for close to two decades and his portrayal of a cheeky, care free lad turned depressed and downtrodden adult is like a master class in theatre. Every scene Sean is in he commands your attention and makes Mickey’s sink into despair both highly unnerving but thoroughly engrossing. To put it simply, Sean IS Mickey and seeing anyone else play the role just wouldn’t seem right.
Eddie Lyons is the twin given away, the one who got to enjoy a life of wealth and privilege unlike his brother down the road. Like Sean, Jay Worley makes the switch from childhood to adulthood with ease and finesse. While Eddie is polar opposites to Mickey he still has his own issues, not least his struggle with his feelings for Mickey’s childhood sweetheart Linda and Jay unpeels the layers with real star quality, making I'm Not Saying a Word a real highlight.
North East born actress Carly Burns does the region proud as Linda, blending the flirtatious innocence of youth with the heart wrenching agony and concern of a wife gravely worried for her husband. The scene where Mickey tests Linda’s strength and resolve as he begs for his anti depressant pills is an emotional punch to the gut. You hear the anguish of Linda’s predicament in every last word that comes out of Carly’s mouth as her lines are delivered with immense pain and torture.
Paula Tappenden also has plenty of anguish to contend with as Mrs Lyons, the woman so desperate for a child she begs her employee to give her one of her twins. She drives the bargain hoping it will bring her happiness and fill the childless void in her life but instead the fateful deal brings her years of torment , which Paula gets across both in her dialogue and in song, with Easy Terms, her duet with Niki one of act one’s trump cards.
She takes Mrs Lyons from a cool, calm and collected Stepford wife to a woman wracked with paranoia as she’s haunted by demons from past choices.
Always there to remind the main protagonists of the consequences of their actions is the narrator. Lurking in the shadows, casting an eye on the action before offering words of warning with vitriol and venom, Richard Munday is quite superb, with The Shoes are on the Table his chilling and emphatic calling card.
From start to finish Blood Brothers is highly engaging and enthralling. What it lacks in added razzmatazz it more than makes up for in drama, emotion and stellar performances.
It’s a musical that has undeniably stood the rest of time and long may it run and run. A tearstained triumph.
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