The 3-hour show tells the tale of two brothers, separated at birth, who find serendipity drawing them back together in adulthood. As they grow older, leading ostensibly separate lives, they begin to gravitate back towards each other, until they eventually become friends. However, the touching story of unconditional and instinctive brotherly love is tarnished forever by tragedy. Set in Liverpool in post-war 1960s Britain, it follows the journeys of “Eddie” and “Mickey” as they grow up in contrasting worlds, having been separated by their mother who could not afford to keep them both. This forces her to give Eddie away to her wealthy boss who is unable to bear her own children. To both mother’s despair, this division will not separate their inevitable fate. Violence, love, family and friendship shall follow the two, regardless of attempts to separate them.
The protagonists of the play are Sean Jones and Mark Hutchinson. Jones is a veteran of the show, having played the role of Mickey for several years, performing both in the West End and on the national tour. In the actor’s own words, Mickey is, “a typical young lad growing up in Liverpool in the 1960’s playing out in the streets with his friends. He grew up in a very poor, working class family and due to the nature of his environment, his life takes a very sad and tragic turn. The whole backdrop is that he actually has a twin brother, who he knows nothing about. They end up becoming best friends. His brother is actually brought up by a very wealthy family and it’s about how the different lifestyles send them off on very different paths.”
Jones exudes an energy that sends laughter rippling around the theatre, only to be silenced in the closing moments by how far Mickey has been crippled. The most impressive aspect of Jones’ performance is his ability to convincingly portray a 7-year-old child all the way up to adulthood, balancing the comedy of Mickey’s younger years, the awkwardness of his adolescence, and his eventual tragic spiral into depression and destruction in a way that didn’t feel forced or erratic to his character throughout the course of the play. It is testament to both his acting abilities and the judgement of the show’s producers that they trusted him with this daunting task.
Hutchinson, meanwhile, also gives a brilliant performance as Eddie; he describes his character simply as, “the twin who's given away, people often refer to me as the posh twin. I get brought up going to nice schools, wearing nice clothes and spending time with my nice middle class family.” Hutchinson also has a long association with Blood Brothers, having played the role of Eddie in the West End, on tour, in Toronto and Broadway, where he won the Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. This is no surprise to me as his portrayal of a quintessential English public schoolboy is pitch-perfect, and the audience is still drawn to his character and are able to find him likeable even as he seems to get handed every advantage in life on a silver plate whilst Mickey’s life falls apart. He was also among some of the best vocal performances in the play - when he sings “If I Were Him”, it brings shivers down your spine.
To me, it’s also testament to both Jones’ and Hutchinson’s acting ability (and this sentiment extends to the cast as a whole as well) that a pair of middle-aged men were able to play 7-year old children and then 14-year olds, without it appearing overly distracting to the audience; it is difficult to focus on anything but the remarkable story unfolding between the two of them - as a pair of brothers this duo were heartwarming when they were on stage, making the eventually breakdown of their fraternal bond all the more heartbreaking.
As for the female performers, their roles were all uniquely poignant and intense, cutting through the rest of the masculinity on the stage. The main role of the twins’ birth mother is played by the incredible Olivier Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner Linzi Hateley. Her character is perhaps the most emotionally charged in the entire play, as she endures the pain that comes with being forced to give a child away, portrayed in such a way that it is impossible to feel anything but the utmost sympathy for her, and being an adopted child myself it was difficult not to feel a personal affiliation towards a mother who was so desperate that she felt she had no other choice but to give her baby away. If by the end of this evening, there is not but a faint mist in your eye, Hateley’s rendition of ‘Tell Me it’s Not True’ should draw it out. Combining vocal talents with her character, she offers an excellently human performance. Other notable female performances include that of Sarah Jane Buckley playing Mrs Lyons, Eddie’s rich adopted-mother. Her success in conveying the anguish suffered by a woman unable to have her own children is indicative of her acting - not to mention her impressive vocal-range - although her character does admittedly go from a somewhat sympathetic woman to someone who very nearly commits a grisly murder so quickly it takes you aback somewhat.
Finally, mentions must go to Danielle Corlass for her role as Linda, who found herself as the rope in a game of tug and wore between the two brothers, and Robbie Scotcher for his incessantly sinister narrative voice, playing the moral conscience often looming over the character’s shoulders.
However, whilst this is unquestionably an accomplished and entertaining musical, it is not quite perfect. The lack of a live orchestra is disappointing to those who have come to expect one in a large-scale musical. There is also too much repletion, with the song ‘Marilyn Monroe’ played so many times that you find yourself humming it to yourself long after you get home - normally an endearing legacy, but on this occasion simply a consequence of overkill. However in my opinion, Willy Russell has created a show that successfully combines comedy with tragedy, superstition with real-life, playing on the theme of “nature v. nurture” with two twins separated at birth and leading very different lives yet feeling a certain “pull” towards one another. Russell manages to get across important issues such as the class system, poverty and unemployment – and all done with the most beautiful music score, put together by Musical Director Tim Whiting. Andy Walmsley’s stage design is effective, and the lighting can also be intense, often used well to conceal within the shadows, thought it is never used to full effect.
On the whole I would strongly recommend Blood Brothers for a fun and entertaining night out. Though created in 1983, Blood Brothers certainly has longevity, and its themes are timeless. Its commentary on class is still as cutting for the first, second or ninth viewing, with this touring production is insightful and marvellously performed. The story is at once emotionally gripping, funny and heart-rending. A potent combination that serves to captivate its audience and leave them wanting more.
