Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers is playing at the Wyvern Theatre this week – upto and including Saturday 25th October.
Not for the first time, last night I sat through a production of Blood Brothers. I first saw it as an early incarnation in London many moons ago, with the great Barbara Dickson playing Mrs Johnstone.
And, since then, I’ve seen numerous productions of BB at the Wyvern Theatre, and I’ve never failed to feel its power and its ability to move. This production being no exception. The audience were on their feet at the end and rightly so. And yes, I cried. Again.
The plot
I don’t want to say too much about the plot – for obvious reasons. Though of course our beloved Google would soon tell you. What I will say, is that, despite being a musical, this production is no Oklahoma. Rather than the sweet-smelling, waving wheat what we have here is a desperately sad and tragic tale. Set not on farmland but in the poverty and grime of working-class Liverpool during a period roughly spanning the decades from the 1950s to the 1980s. It doesn’t sound like it should work. But it does. And that it does is down entirely, in the first instance, to the writing talents of Willy Russell. And then to the talents of the performers who have, over the decades, pumped life into the veins of this tragic tale of twins separated at birth.
The cast
The case is great. I’ve watched several of them before in the UK touring production I’m sure. Sean Jones, playing Mickey, must surely be riding his imaginary horse in his sleep by now? đŸ™‚ Adults playing children – I’m always impressed that they make it so convincing. And they do – they all do!
Playing the all-seeing-all-knowing narrator in this production is Kristofer Harding. I saw Kristofer in this role some years ago now, so felt quite delighted to see him reprise it here. He knows before we do that it will all end in tears – literally and figuratively. And he reminds the audience of this throughout. Assuming the same function as a Greek chorus, the narrator in Blood Brothers is unseen by the other characters on stage as he speaks straight to the audience, explaining the plot, linking scenes and giving commentary on the themes explored in the musical.
Blood Brothers is a beautifully, hauntingly told, epic tragedy for the modern world. But the real tragedy is that the type of events it portrays, against a backdrop of social inequality, continue to play out day after day after day.
Book your tickets here: https://trafalgartickets.com/wyvern-theatre-swindon/en-GB/event/musical/blood-brothers-tickets
