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Blood Brothers the Musical - Proving Blood is thicker than water!
Blood Brothers is a musical about two twin brothers separated at birth, both never knowing the truth about their relationship.
The show is narrated superbly by Richard Munday who more or less stays on stage throughout the show, skulking in the background and constantly reminding the characters of the awful fate if the bothers ever discover the truth of their relationship.
The show begins with a Mother “Mrs Johnstone” (played superbly by X factor 2007 alumni Nicki Evans) crying over the death of two men (her sons), giving the audience an insight of the harrowing end to this emotionally charged story by Willy Russell.
Set in Liverpool in the mid 80’s when times were hard, unemployment high and most working-class families struggled due to the recession brought on by decisions made by the then prime minister Margret Thatcher (yes the one who stopped your milk in schools and brought in section 28). The show highlights the differences at the time between the working and upper classes via the twins different upbringings with their respective families, from schooling to financially and socially to family situations depicted via the two lead characters Micky (Sean Jones) and Eddie (Jay Worley) as you watch them grow up throughout the show alongside their mothers, neighbours, friends and most importantly their friend and eventual mutual love interest the lovely Linda (Carly Burns).
The show itself is a big mixing pot of emotions, you will laugh, you will gasp but trust me when I say that the end will have you in tears regardless of whether you have seen it before or studied it in school.
Nicki Evans performance is so full of emotion that you would honestly think the two boys were her actual children, which was only highlighted further by the closing scene where you could feel the overwhelming emotion she was feeling and projecting from her final scene performance.
Sean Jones comic timing and ability to act as a child, teenager and adult is entertaining, in the second half of the show his delivery of his characters more serious side while shining a light on darker topics of poverty, unemployment and how this can lead to crime and mental health issues is phenomenal and definitely needed a mention.
The entire casts harmonies are tight, well-rehearsed and really brin so much emotion to some of the iconic songs such as “Marilyn Monroe” “Shoes Upon the Table” and the closing number “Tell me it’s not true,”
