Blood Brothers – The Liverpool Empire

Book/Music/Lyrics: Willy Russell

Director: Bob Tomson & Bill Kenwright

Reviewer: Steph Rowe

The Public Reviews Rating:

“Once I had a Husband you know the kind of chap…” and hereby starts the Iconic musical that is known as ‘Blood Brothers’.

For anyone who doesn’t know the story of the Johnstone twins; they are separated at birth by a mother who cannot afford to keep them both, so she makes a pledge with her employer who is childless that she can bring one of the twins up as her own, so one Edward is raised in a well to do home, while Mickey is left with his mum and raised in the slums of Liverpool, often Hungry and very often dirty. They meet when they are 7 (nearly 8) and unaware of the fact they are twins they become ‘Blood Brothers’ and lifelong friends. We watch them grow into young men throughout the musical and see the consequences played out thanks to the deceit of their parents.

Melanie C famously one fifth of the biggest girl band in the world ‘The Spice Girls’ takes on the role of Mrs Johnstone. I will admit to being slightly sceptical when I heard she had been cast in this role and I have to say that during the first half I was beginning to think I was right…but during the second half she seemed to pull herself together, overcome her nerves and bring the second and most poignant half alive. Having seen Blood Brothers many times in the past I have to say that in the 20 odd years it’s been going I have seen many people take on this role in the musical and many have made the role of Mrs Johnstone such an Iconic role, but unless Mel C manages to make the first half stronger then I am afraid she may not become one of them.

I was pleased to see that the narrator was none other than the marvellous Robbie Scotcher, he certainly is one of the best I have seen and manages to be menacing and caring throughout the show. Sean Jones plays Mickey and he and Paul Davies( Eddie) along with Kelly-Anne Gower as Linda keep you gripped to your seats as you go through every twist and turn of their lives and feel every emotion they display.

Special mention as to go to Graham Martin for making each of his many roles all stand out from each other, he uses his wit and charms to make each role vibrant and vivacious, in fact the whole team work together so well that I would love to mention each and everyone of them and tell you all about their personnel performances and I can assure not one of them failed to deliver.

The Set by Andy Walmsley is the well known front of the slum houses looking down at the Mersey, with each act bringing on their own props for their individual homes. This along with the lighting by Mark Howett, help to make the whole show successful, along with the musical direction of Kelvin Towse.

This is a not too be missed show and managed to bring the whole house to a standing ovation even before the final chords had been played, not an easy task in the hardened theatre of Liverpool, where many shows I have reviewed have seen the audience chatter throughout but this one had silence from the whole auditorium from beginning to end.