Review-Blood Brothers
January 21, 2009
Date Reviewed: 20th January, 2009
Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Willy Russell’s musical Blood Brothers is a worldwide smash and usually gains a standing ovation at every performance. This latest tour compliments the West End version that is still running strong in the Capital and once again stars one of the Nolan sisters. Over the years the musical has provided an ideal vehicle for the Nolan’s as they take it in turns almost to play the put upon, down at heel, mother Mrs Johnstone.
It’s not giving anything away to say that this is an emotional rollercoaster of a show that gives its terrible heart wrenching ending away right at the start. However the story of how we work back to the end, if you follow, is riveting stuff, even if you have seen this musical several times.
Mrs Johnson (Maureen Nolan) is the mother of several children and when she finds she is pregnant again, but this time with twins, has to take drastic action. The lady she cleans for provides the solution as she cannot have a family and takes of one of the boys. But once she has the child safely with her, bans Mrs Johnstone from seeing him, which was not the deal.
As the years pass the families move on and the boys make new friends. But by a turn of fate the boys get to know each other and despite being like chalk and cheese they form a close bond, never realising its a brotherly one. Even when the families move away, unbeknown to each other they find the houses still in close proximity and the boys friendship continues as they grow up.
But when politics and the love of one girl get in the way of the friendship, we know that their fate is sealed.
The final rendition of “Tell Me It’s Not True” brings a lump to your throat and usually tears stream down the leading lady’s face, such is the emotion of this piece.
Sean Jones, who has played the role of Mickey on tour and in the West End is faultless as the twin left to grow up with Mrs Johnstone. He believably changes from a cheeky seven year old to the young man doped on anti-depressants in front of our eyes, which makes the final few minutes all the more harrowing. Complimenting his performance is Simon Willmont, as the other twin Eddie, who had all the advantages his well to do “parents” were able to offer their son.
Maureen Nolan as Mrs Johnstone, is very good and looked emotionally drained at the curtain call. However for me she failed to have the gritty gravitas of her sister Linda, who captures the persona of Johnstone exactly, as a woman fighting her way forward against all the hard knocks life can throw at her.
Over the years I have seen stunt casting used in the musical all be it totally unnecessary, (including John Conteh world champion boxer playing the narrator). But now with a Nolan usually at the helm this musical shows no signs of slowing down in popularity and even before opening an extra performance has had to be added to the Theatre Royals run. The songs may be not instantly be recognisable to those unfamiliar to the show but it has an ever increasing fan base that provide full houses and standing ovations wherever this musical plays, which it deserves.
If you have not seen it, try it and if you have seen it no doubt you will already have booked, such is the pulling power of the show.
John Dixon
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