Although Blood Brothers initial West End run only lasted six months, two Olivier Awards pointed towards its future potential. Reopening, after a year long national tour, in 1988, the show went on to become the third longest running musical in West End history and, despite this longevity, it was never re-written – giving us a show that greets its Eastbourne audience like a well known and well loved friend.
The terrace of slums along either side of the, incredibly highly raked, stage stand defiantly beside the two empty stretchers that are an indication of the tragic tale that is about to unfold. As the overture begins it is immediately apparent that credit for the atmosphere must go to the sound design of Dan Samson and the amazingly dramatic lighting of Nick Richings.
In the dim light, as the police cover the bodies that now populate the stretchers, the narrator of the tale stands, menacingly, waiting to ask, “Did you ever hear of the Johnstone twins?” With a flawless Liverpudlian accent, an almost predatory persona, and an incredible voice, Kristofer Harding, is simply brilliant as the narrator, continually appearing and disappearing in the shadows around the set.
Playing characters that age from single figures to mid-twenty’s in just a couple of hours is never easy but, Sean Jones and Joel Benedict as the twins, Mickey and Edward, manage the transition very well indeed. They are totally believable throughout, but it is Danielle Corlass, as the love interest, Linda, who steals the transformation award as she morphs from little girl, to teenage temptress, to frustrated wife and mother to… well, for those who haven’t seen it, I won’t reveal how she ends up.
Paula Tappenden, gives a first-rate performance as Mrs Lyons, portraying her fear and paranoia with conviction. She is supported well by Tim Churchill as her long suffering, and work obsessed, husband. The rest of the cast are brilliant at covering the multitude of bit-parts and minor characters with Graham Martin taking the award for playing the most characters in one show by a very long way.
Still showing off the superb voice that helped to sell millions of records for The New Seekers, Lyn Paul is every inch the Scouse mother. She gives everything she has to the part and rides the emotional rollercoaster right the way through to the tear-jerkingly painful end. In possibly the most dramatic five minutes ever to have been written for a musical, her performance of “Tell Me It’s Not True”, brings the capacity house to tears and, in recognition of such a magnificent performance, straight to its feet.
This amazing show is a theatrical masterpiece – don’t miss it!
***** Five Stars
