Blood Brothers tells the story of the Johnston twins, Mickey and Eddie, who were separated at birth. It follows their journey from two young children through to adulthood, with both boys being raised in very different households. Eddie is brought up by the Lyon’s family in a wealthy, “well to do” home whereas contrastingly Mickey is raised by his birth Mother in a less fortunate environment. Unbeknownst to the boys that they are twins, their paths cross at several points in the story and quickly they become best friends or “Blood Brothers”. In their quest for love, the storyline takes an unexpected turn of events.
We went into this musical unsure what to expect, but wow, we were blown away! So much so that we saw this production three times during it’s recent UK tour. The cast were sensational, creating a very moving and authentic portrayal of their characters. Both Sean Jones and Joe Sleight who play Mickey and Eddie were mesmerising to watch as they transitioned from young children to adults live on stage. They made this transition across the ages seamlessly and their performances were absolutely incredible to watch. In particular we really enjoyed watching Sean’s rendition of “I’m nearly 8”, it really encapsulates the spirit of being a child and the desire to be older and treated the same as your siblings.
This hair raising storyline was narrated by Scott Anson in an eerie and mysterious tone. He successfully created lots of suspense in his narration of the storyline, foreshadowing the events that are to follow. Every time he appeared on stage, we were on the edge of our seats wondering what twists and turns the story would take next.
The staging was spectacular and we loved the full sized set piece with multiple houses and the elevated bridge. The primary set stayed static throughout the performance with some clever additions to represent moving homes, out in the countryside and in the county hall. The set is reflective of the time period and creates a very authentic appearance. The stage was well lit using a variety of colouring techniques to portray the emotion of each scene. We like that the staging and choreography has remained largely unchanged over the years which is part of the secret to the success of the show.
The musical score featured many memorable songs which we have fallen in love with and have continued to listen to for months after the show. A few of our favourites being “Tell me it’s not true” and “Bright New Day” which we thoroughly enjoyed being performed on stage. The performance starts with the overture which creates a sombre and mysterious atmosphere of the storyline that lies ahead. The score featured a varied range of orchestrations that set the mood for each scene perfectly.
It is very clear to see how Blood Brothers was one of the longest running musicals on the West End. Willy Russell’s masterpiece remains largely untouched but still feels as relevant and emotive as when it first ran in the eighties. This musical has quickly become one of our all time favourites and we would highly recommend seeing it!
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