Blood Brothers, the creation of playwright Willy Russell, has been a staple of national theatres since 1983, and after last night’s production in the WMC’s Donald Gordon Theatre it’s easy to see why it’s called the “standing ovation musical.”
The play is set in Liverpool in the 1960s and follows best friends Mickey and Eddie as they navigate childhood and adolescence until life sends them in separate directions. Its story captivates, from the upbeat opening number to the heartwrenching moment single mother Mrs Johnstone, played by Vivienne Carlyle, is coerced into giving away one of her twins. Carlyle carries the weight of the show with her powerful voice and emotional believability.
Welsh actor Sean Jones, who hung up his green tanktop in 2022 after two decades, reprises his role as Mickey, the kid from the disadvantaged side of town, and plays the part effortlessly. Mickey is seven when we first meet him playing in the street with his mates, and though the audience as a whole seemed amused by adult actors playing the roles of children, my disconnection to the young characters pulled me out of the world of the play – but at two hours and 45 minutes long, there was plenty of time to lose myself again.
While the first act features a lot of comedy, the second act is much darker and ex-Coronation Street actor Scott Anson, who had been lurking in the background as the ominous narrator, becomes more threatening. Gemma Broderick (Karen in Good Karma Hospital) plays the part of Linda, the boys’ love interest and the catalyst for the fate that befalls them, but it isn’t her we grieve for at the end.
Like all of Russell’s work, Blood Brothers is a very down-to-earth, human story. You feel the characters’ hope and despair, commiserate with their losses, and celebrate their wins. The running lyrical thread of Marilyn Monroe is an interesting one, and it’s clever how it fits the story’s themes of love, class, and family ties.
This isn’t a play of surprises – with two boys and one girl, you can see what’s coming – but it’s the nuances in the script and the performances of the actors that make the story utterly mesmerizing. I so wanted a happy ending, but this is a play that begins with the end, so you know from the start what will happen, just not how it will happen.
Still, I wasn’t prepared to jump out of my seat. The play goes from dark to light and back again, sometimes in quick succession, but the ending is harrowing, and when I left the theatre, I felt emotionally drained. Blood Brothers’ warts-and-all approach is refreshing – and received a well-deserved standing ovation.
Blood Brothers, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 20 Aug
On until Sat 24 Aug. Tickets: £15-£72. Info: here
words LYNDA NASH
