REVIEW: BLOOD BROTHERS @ REGENT THEATRE STOKE

So, did y'hear the story of the Johnstone twins?

As like each other as two new pins
Of one womb born, on the self same day
How one was kept and one given away?
An' did you never hear how the Johnstone's died
Never knowing they shared one name
Till the day they died, When a mother cried
“My own dear sons lie slain”.
An' did y'never hear of the mother so cruel
There's a stone in place of her heart
Then bring her on and come judge for yourselves
How she came to play this part...

It seems entirely appropriate that I should catch up with Willy Russell’s masterpiece Blood Brothers in 2018, because it was thirty years ago in April 1988 that I first saw Kiki Dee lead a superlative cast in Bill Kenwright’s production at the Manchester Opera House.  It subsequently returned to the West End that year and stayed for some 24 years. I have been very lucky in seeing a collection of amazing Mrs. Johnstone’s over the years, the original Mrs J. - Barbara Dickson - among them.  So it is always a little nervous to approach the show with a different cast, as you don’t want your precious memories diminishing. 

There really is no show like Blood Brothers. Its heightened storyline, with a mother giving away one of her newborn twins to a wealthy employer, connected to a world of superstition and class struggles, makes it resonate not only at home but with cultures around the world. Willy Russell’s hauntingly beautiful music and lyrics creating a soundscape into which this tale of two brothers and their mother unfolds. It really is a poetic show,  the use of language and imagery in the songs and in the dialogue, utilising an almost mythical story and giving it currency in the world we live in.  Willy Russell’s talent has never been sharper or more fully realised.

And so to the current tour. A new Mrs. Johnstone makes her appearance. Linzi Hateley has a CV of musical theatre credits second to none, and here puts her stamp very firmly on Mrs. Johnstone.  As this mother dreams of a life like Marilyn Monroe, Hateley finds the nuances in the dialogue, and gives her Mrs. J. a depth of focus that marks her out as an outstanding lead. Linzi’s singing voice is crystal clear,  like a polished jewel, so songs like the emotive Easy Terms are given full impact.  It is an impressive foray into one of the great musical theatre roles.

As the titular Blood Brothers, Sean Jones and the original Broadway Eddie, Mark Hutchinson, are well bedded into the roles having both played them for the best part of two decades on and off.  Jones is totally at home with the earthy and vulnerable Mickey Johnstone, winning the audiences favour early on with his hilarious seven year old Mickey, all snot and hand-me-down clothes. Mark Hutchinson has the quieter, less showy role as Eddie Lyons, raised in much more prosperous circumstances yet drawn to his blood brother despite the class divide. Jones and Hutchinson are the lynchpins of the show,  and grasp the characters by the bootstraps.

 Sarah Jane Buckley as Mrs. Lyons, whose fear of losing her adopted son sweeps away all reason and sense, gives a finely detailed study of the descent into darkness.  She is matched by Robbie Scotcher as the sinister Narrator, to whom these events are witnessed.  I’ve seen some Narrators in the past rattle through the dialogue barely pausing to comprehend their meaning, but Scotcher gives us time to soak in his every warning and comprehend its ramifications. Buckley and Scotcher are class acts.

Then there is Danielle Corlass as Linda.  In love with Mickey from the moment we see them as children.  We see her grow from short skirted hormonal teenager to run down Mum battling to save her marriage and her sanity. It’s a lovely, heartfelt performance. One of quiet strength and heartbreaking sadness. Corlass could have been the underdog surrounded as she is by such quality leads, but here she romps home with a star performance of her own.

The supporting cast are just as strong, Daniel Taylor as the thuggish Sammy Johnstone and local actor Tim Churchill occupying a number of roles in fine form. If I have any caveats, it is perhaps that the two actors enjoying the longest association with the show, Jones and Hutchinson, should remember that head mics are no substitute for clarity of diction. They could perhaps take their lead from Churchill’s clear as a bell vocal performance on a few occasions. 

 

A word also must go to musical director Tim Whiting and the band.  Throughout the show, the eering underscoring added to the musical high points, wrestling with our emotions as the piece weaves its way to the devastating climax. They sound magnificent at every turn.

Naturally, by the time that Mrs. Johnstone is singing that desolate anthem Tell Me It’s Not True, there is not a dry eye in the house.  Willy Russell has written the perfect folk-opera. A story that touches the heart at every pit stop, and one that is just as relevant today as it was when it was first presented all those years ago.

As for me,  I’ve lost count of how many times I have seen this show.  30 years after my first encounter with the blood brothers,  it is a piece of theatre that remains breathtaking in its scope and construction.  The instant standing ovation is further proof that this is one of the greatest musicals ever written and truly a show of the people.  

Tour details can be found at the website of Bill Kenwright Productions