Blood Brothers was a West End smash hit and sits behind only Phantom of The Opera, Les Mis and Mamma Mia as the fourth longest serving musical in the capital with an outstanding 10,100 performances to its name.
On top of that, it's been touring the UK for a good proportion of the last three decades and is pretty much a given in any musical theatre fans list of ‘shows I’ve seen’. Everything points to a piece that should, by now, be stale and in need of a well earned rest - however this British classic continues to defy logic and continues to be a stalwart of the British theatre circuit.
Blood Brothers tells the tragic story of Mickey and Eddie, twins who were separated at birth. One was raised by a wealthy family while the other is raised in poorer circumstances. The boy's different backgrounds take them to opposite ends of the social spectrum; one becomes a councillor and the other ends up in prison. They both fall in love with the same girl, causing a tear in their friendship and leading to a tragic ending. It’s a tale of sadness, belly laughs, the impact of recession and class differences which keep two people - who in so many ways are so similar - so far apart.
Every time I review this show, I reiterate that the pool of people who take on the matriarchal figure of Mrs Johnstone is an incredibly small stable of 'trusted' performers. However, for the first time in a long time this evening, I saw someone who I'd never seen before and who led a cast who were sensational.
The actress in question is Vivienne Carlyle and, whilst I might not have had the pleasure, it's certainly not her first Carlyle's first time donning the coat.
Taking the audience through the entire range, from 'laugh out loud' to 'blubbering, emotional wreck', there weren't many people leaving the auditorium this evening without make up streaming from their eyes. In particular, her rendition of 'Tell Me It's Not True' gave instant goosebumps with a level of refrain before belting out the money notes.
Alongside Carlyle, Sean Keany is superb as the Narrator and plays an imposing character. One of the mysteries of modern day musical theatre is who exactly the narrator in the show 'is'. Some say he takes the part of the conscience of the two mothers. Some say he represents the devil and some believe he is literally just the glue that holds the story together – whatever the answer, Keany certainly packs a punch.
Sean Jones and Joe Sleight take the roles of Mickey and Eddie respectively and should both be highly commended for taking us on an incredible journey, from seven (nearly eight!) year old boys to bickering love rivals in the space of three hours. Jones in particular is becoming synonymous with the role of Mickey, having played him for over twenty years.
The most important thing in the show is the unspoken chemistry between two brothers who don't know they're related. It's an incredibly hard balance to strike, but one that Jones and Sleight have managed to pull off perfectly. They made the audience laugh and they made them sit in a stunned silence with a powerful take on the characters.
This show is a clear audience favourite and it’s a story with heart that is as poignant now as it was when it was first performed. Very few people left the building without at least a slight tear stain and that’s testament to its ongoing success.
Blood Brothers plays at Wolverhampton Grand until Saturday 25th January. For more information and to get your tickets head to grandtheatre.co.uk.
