Willy Russell’s evergreen play about class division Blood Brothers returned to The Regent, in Stoke-on-Trent, this week delivering a powerful performance.
Featuring on the National Curriculum, Blood Brothers continues to successfully draw packed audiences of all ages, sharing Willy Russell’s work with a whole new generation.
Driven by creative, intricate storytelling, powerful themes, atmospheric staging and emotion-packed songs, Blood Brothers is an emotional rollercoaster.
The play tells the story of two twins dealt very different hands of fate and how the class they are associated with impacts the person that they become, and their life opportunities.
Devastatingly dark at times but also warmly humorous, the plot unfolds on the streets of Liverpool, where Mickey Johnstone lives in an overcrowded house in the slums with his single mum and multiple siblings. Eddie Lyons meanwhile has every gift a child could wish for in terms of monetary value. The plot follows the course of their fateful friendship and charts their life as they pass through different stages of life, their class differences becoming more apparent as they age.
Loaded with emotive motifs and metaphors, it is plain to see why this remains a fixture for GCSE students, never mind the important message it sends out about class that remains relevant today.
Having seen blood brothers four or five times this is one of the best shows I’ve seen, with a superb cast. Vivienne Carlyle as Mrs Johnson was truly excellent delivering an emotion-packed performance as the mum who just can’t win. Her voice and acting are excellent, and she absolutely engages the audience from start to finish.
Likewise, Paula Tappenden as Mrs Lyons is suitably uptight, manipulative and cold as she carries the hidden burden of her own problems. Sean Jones as Mickey was fantastic, taking him from a mischievous boy right through to a devastatingly depressed adult, in a transformative journey that was remarkable. Gemma Brodrick, as Linda, brought out the desperation to be liked as a teenage girl moving easily into the struggles of motherhood and marriage. Joe Sleight as Eddie was well cast, providing the perfect counterpart to Mickey’s boisterousness. The chemistry on stage between the three perfectly supporting the story’s progression and pulling the audience in.
A key character in Blood Brothers is the narrator, and Christopher Harding was excellent in the role as the dark brooding menace – the devil on the shoulder of Mrs Johnstone – resting at the back of the stage shrouding the story in darkness as the story develops.
Even having seen this show repeatedly, the appeal never fades. The storytelling is so rich, and the story so emotive, it captivates the audience every time.
Still such an important story about class division, and the differences that life choices can make, Blood Brothers is at The Regent Theatre, in Hanley, this week until Saturday. Tickets are available online.
CNM
