Review: BLOOD BROTHERS, Theatre Royal Brighton

Now let me be honest - in fifteen years of theatre-going, I had never seen Blood Brothers until this week. Critiquing a production that's so iconic with entirely virgin eyes is almost impossible given that the story and score are so firmly embedded in popular culture (I've heard renditions of 'Tell Me It's Not True' in multiple reality shows!). But what I can say is that whether you're a lifelong mega-fan of Blood Brothers, or have never heard of it, this particular production is so finely curated with accomplished performances that I can't imagine anyone being disappointed. 

For the minority (I suspect) of people not familiar with Blood Brothers, let's get into it. This is a tragic tale of twin brothers - Mickey and Eddie - separated at birth who live two very different lives, with two very polarised experiences of 1960's Liverpool. With one brother one on the poverty line, and the other living a life of privilige, we witness over the course of 2hr30 (yes, it's a long one!) how these differences change their outlooks and their outcomes...but not their connection.

It feels rather on the nose to be exploring the class divide given the increasingly widening wealth-gap that the UK is experiencing at the moment. Willy Russell has created something that transcends the generations and sadly, feels just as relevant now as it must have done in at its inception in the 80's.

It took 15 minutes or so for me to buy into the concept of visibly adult actors playing through all ages but as the story progressed it became clear that the core message of the story wouldn't work in any other way. The relationship between the two brothers is everything, and seeing the same actors play age seven as convincingly as age eighteen is testament to the actors ability as well as the snappy writing.

Sean Jones as Mickey won me over with his playful exuberance. As a young boy with a bullish - and borderline abusive - older brother and not a penny to his name, his lust for life is infectious yet bittersweet, as the audience knows his fate. Joe Sleight's Eddie is sweetly naive and through his clipped RP accent you can feel his inner child desperate to break free of the restictions of a formal upbringing. 

Niki Colwell Evans' Mrs Johnstone will crush your heart, massage it back to life and squeeze the life back out of it as she navigates the emotional and financial lows of her life. Colwell Evans' vocal ability is powerful, bursting with feeling and has a raw, gritty sound to it that really grounds her performance. This is a role that is barely off stage and has to navigate a rollercoaster of emotions - I felt like I'd been hit by a bus by the end of the show, so I can't imagine what strength is must take as an actor to live in the body of Mrs Johnstone eight times a week. 

Speaking of the score, it's what I would call a classic 80's creation, very reminiscent of Chess in its sound. For me, there's no track that stands out lyrically but melodically "Tell Me Its Not True" remains an earworm (arguably the most well-known track) and using the multiple reprises of "Marilyn Monroe" is a smart plot device.

Blood Brothers offers up an interesting challenge in set design - particularly for a touring production - as there are many scenes all set in different locations, switching back and forth regularly. Designer Andy Walmsley has created a pared back set with minimal fuss, which when combined with the actors physicality works very well to convery a sense of movement from house, to street, to school, and back again.

It's a classic, and for good reason. Blood Brothers explores some dark themes but if the opening scene didn't exist, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Act 1 is a comedy.  Straddling these two extremes makes for a memorable, provoking and satisfying night out which after all, is what theatre is all about.

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