‘Blood Brothers’ – The Best Musical of the 20th Century and one of those rare productions that bridges the gap beautifully between traditional ‘theatre’ and large-scale musical.
It has the intimacy and sympathy with the characters, the elegant dialogue that is usually reserved for straight theatre, whilst maintaining the catchy tunes and showstopping numbers that are expected of West End Musicals. It also takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, from belly laughter to heart-wrenching tears, incessantly throughout. For me, ‘Blood Brother’s’ will always be one of the best written musicals ever: can the UK Touring production on now at Leeds Grand showcase the genius of this production to its full potential?
The book, lyrics and even the music were created by one of the most talented men to emerge from the North of England – Willy Russell, famed for his long list of groundbreaking plays, including ‘Educating Rita’ and ‘Shirley Valentine’. His works are heavily influenced by his working-class routes and love for both folk and pop music, and ‘Blood Brothers’ highlights these aspects in spectacular form.
Set in Liverpool across the 1970’s and 80’s, it follows Mrs Johnston, a young woman living in poverty, struggling to raise her children alone. Upon finding out she is pregnant with twins, she reluctantly agrees to give one of the twins, Eddie, away to an upper- middle class woman who is struggling to conceive, whilst raising the other twin, Mickey, herself.
The story jumps quickly 7 years into the future where the boys unexpectedly meet and become firm best friends, along with Micky’s other friend, Linda. Again, we jump further into the future where the children are 14 and we can see the budding romance between Micky and Linda, as well as the unrequited love Eddie also feels for her. With each jump in time, the comedy and innocence of their youth dies away and the stark reality of what it means to be working-class in 1980’s Liverpool, where redundancy is rife and hopes are low, is ever more apparent. An undercurrent throughout the twin’s life is the constant fear from both mothers that Mickey (Sean Jones) and Eddie will realise who they truly are to each other, with devasting consequences for them all.
It’s always difficult to see a show you love so well and not have it match your expectation. I know there are many strengths to this production and it’s important that I emphasise just how much the audience, and my mother, loved it. There’s no escaping that the dialogue is exceptional, to a point where it can be, and has been, performed without music. A highlight is the witty poem spoken by 7 year old Mickey about what he’ll do when he’s 8. Josh Capper beautifully shows his naivety, creating a bittersweet memory for Act 2 where his hopes fade and he loses his enthusiasm for life, making our sympathy for him all the greater. The story is also exceptional, highlighting key turning points in the boys’ lives as their worlds and expectations grow further and further apart. Russell knows how to draw the audience in with quick-witted comedy and fast-paced scenes, whilst wringing out all your emotions in way that isn’t overdrawn and dragging.
Eddie and Linda, played by Joe Sleight and Gemma Brodrick, are also excellent. All three are believable and energetic as children, charming and awkward as teenagers, and harrowingly haunted as adults. Their performance of gradual change showed skill and sensitivity and their scenes were the highlights of the show.
The soundtrack from ‘Blood Brothers’ is, of course, spectacular. A particular highlight is ‘The Children’s Game’ where all the ensemble hilariously take on the role of 7 year old children and create their imaginary games through role play, highlighting comically the expectations and social norms of the 1970’s.
‘Oh Bright New Day’ wakes the audience up half way through the play, bringing a new sense of hope that the characters may face a new life as they move out to the country. In contrast, the standout song of the show is the famous ballad ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’. However, the big songs in the show all felt a little flat, both emotion in the ballad and energy in the ensemble numbers being lost. The volume levels between the band and the performers were in part to blame, as too were the slow tempo and overuse of synth sounds.
Many famous performers have taken on these roles over the years, from Marti Pellow as the narrator to all four of the Nolan sisters playing Mrs Johnstone. This cast had big shoes to follow, yet they took on the challenge. However, I felt the performances of both mothers and the narrators fell short. The acting felt over-exaggerated. The narrator was wooden and awkward rather than intimidating and powerful. Mrs Johnstone was interpreted in a way that, in my view, simply didn’t suit the play. The performance was too hard and her singing over-pronounced, with the Liverpudlian accent often being replaced by RP. Her naivety as a young woman and the desperate situation she was left in, as well as her deep motherly love, just didn’t convince me and because of this, I wasn’t moved to tears at any point, despite the amazing soundtrack.
‘Blood Brothers’ has been around for over 40 years but the themes of class segregation and social immobility are still as prevalent today as they were back then. The quality of the songs and dialogue have not diminished in this time, and it remains what I believe to be the best musical from the 20th Century. The audience clearly loved the show, especially the throngs of school students, so perhaps it is just my high expectations, and actually, the quality of some of the cast and the absolute genius of Willy Russell has ensured that this production is still a must-see.
Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers is at Leeds Grand Theatre from 3 – 7 December 2024.
Book online at leedsheritagetheatres.com or call the Box Office on 0113 243 0808
Photography by Jack Merriman.
Main image: The Cast of Blood Brothers 2024.
