Last night Eowyn and I went along to the opening night of Blood Brothers at Norwich Theatre, and the full audience and immediate standing ovation gives you an idea of how amazing the show was!
All three girls have studied parts of Blood Brothers during English or Performing Arts classes, but I was unaware of anything other than it was about two brothers separated at birth.
Written by Willy Russell, the legendary Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.
Few musicals have received quite such acclaim as the multi-award winning Blood Brothers. Bill Kenwright’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End, one of only three musicals ever to achieve that milestone. It has been affectionately christened the ‘Standing Ovation Musical’, as inevitably it “brings the audience cheering to its feet and roaring its approval” (The Daily Mail).
The superb score includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True.
The Blood Brothers Story
Blood Brothers is the heart-breaking story of Mickey and Edward, two brothers separated at birth but brought together again through an unlikely friendship. With their familial relationship concealed by their parents, who have striven to keep them apart because of superstitious beliefs, the pair find themselves irreversibly intertwined.
Despite relocating, their lives continue to be tangled, although the deep divisions between Edward’s privileged life and Mickey’s poverty-stricken existence begin to be a burden. As they try to conquer social divisions, their friendship is damaged and they are forced to deal with the harsh realities of class consciousness, with Edward leaving to attend Oxford, whilst Mickey spirals into a life of crime.
As adults, the brothers are caught in a vicious love triangle with Mickey’s childhood sweetheart, Linda. When Mickey is imprisoned, Linda’s subsequent depression forces her into the arms of a conciliatory Edward. A desperate Mickey decides to take action against his fraternal twin, which ultimately exposes their true identities.
Niki Colwell Evans plays Mrs Johnstone, the mother of the twins who is struggling to provide for her family, so when her employer Mrs Lyons (played by Paula Tappenden) begs for her to give away one of the twins to her, she reluctantly agrees.
The emotion throughout from Mrs Johnstone is totally captivating, she is a kind, loving mum to all her children and you can see how torn apart she is being separated from one of the boys, and what a voice!
The twins Mickey (Sean Jones) and Eddie (Joe Sleight) were both brilliant, their transition from cheeky 6 year old boys through to adulthood is outstanding, at some point you even question if they are the same actors as their entire persona changes.
Linda (played by Gemma Brodrick) was the third member of the trio and she was great, her transition from little girl, to teen in love, then wife and mother was perfect.
The clever staging worked really well with different buildings descending from the sky when needed, and props being delivered during song, meant the entire performance flowed seamlessly.
Danny Whitehead as the Narrator was superb, he told the story with such feeling, and the Shoes Upon the Table song was enchanting and haunting at the same time, such a powerful voice.
So if you are a fan of the story, or you are looking for a great evening of entertainment, get yourselves down to Norwich theatre this week.
Running time: 2 hours 50 minutes including 20 minute interval
Age recommendation: 12+
Blood Brothers is taking place from Tuesday 27th June – Saturday 1st July 2023, but there are limited seats available, so get them booked quick!
If you are not local, the Blood Brothers Tour venues and dates can be found HERE