I spent an emotional evening at the Leeds Grand Theatre this week, watching Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers. Having never seen the show and not knowing the story, I honestly did not know what to expect, but I had been advised to take a pack of tissues along with me!
I now feel like this show is under my skin and I cannot stop thinking about the Johnstone twins.
For those who are unaware, Blood Brothers tells the tale of twin brothers who are separated at birth, both have a different upbringing raised in two different households and worlds apart.
Despite both boys taking different paths, Mickey (Sean Jones) and Eddie ( Jay Worley) cross paths again as boys and become best friends with the solemn promise made as children that they would be ‘ Blood Brothers’, but where will the tragic tale end?
If you are not a massive fan of musicals don’t let it put you off. Blood Brothers is gritty, heart-breaking and all things in between, I am so glad I packed tissues as I felt all emotions watching the story unfold.
Looking at what the Johnstone’s had to do to survive, the tale looks at class and privilege and really makes you think about life, you are always reminded at times of laughter and lightness throughout of the tale from the foreboding narrator (Richard Munday), lingering in the shadows.
I loved the songs and Mrs Johnstone, played by the utterly fabulous Niki Colwell Evans who plays the twins biological mother, blew my socks off with her renditions of the catchy Marilyn Monroe and truly broke my heart with ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’. Mrs Johnstone had to be the stand out performance for me, her voice belted through the whole of the theatre and you could hear the love, compassion and sadness in her tones, she was amazing!
The stage and settings throughout are kept simple, with the dismal streets of the working-class estate where the Johnstone’s live allowing the narrator to pass in and out of the lives of the characters, always reminding the audience of the bad times coming. The live orchestra was amazing too.
All in all, a fabulous evening of live theatre at Leeds Grand and listening to the audience, it was clear to see that everyone had been taken in by the story. There were cheers, whispers as we went through all the twists and turns of the plot and the whole audience gave a standing ovation at the end.
Blood Brothers is most definitely a once in a lifetime must see, but it’s a show with a captivating story you will want to see again and again.
Blood Brothers is playing at Leeds Grand Theatre 6th- 10th September. Book your tickets now!
Review by Shannon Palmer
