Blood Brothers at the Liverpool Empire Review
Blood Brothers
Liverpool Empire
19 September to 1 October 2016
Reviewed by Melanie Allen
On Monday night we went to the opening night of this infamous musical by Willy Russell at the Liverpool Empire. Parking at Lime Street was very easy to find, and only £6 for the whole evening (after 6pm). The theatre age range was from teens to pensioners. I have seen this powerful musical about 4 years ago and loved it then so I was looking forward to seeing it again.
The opening scene was the end of the play – two figures dead on the stage with an old lady looking over them. The narrator, Dean Chisnall is the voice of doom and tells the tale though the eyes of pessimistic outsider. The story then goes back in time……
Set in Liverpool and debuting there first, Blood Brothers was one of the longest running musicals in the West End until it closed in 2012. It now tours on Broadway and around the world. This ‘nature versus nurture’ plot surrounds twins, Mickey and Edward who were unknowingly separated at birth; one living in a poor family on a council estate and one raised by a rich family in the countryside. As they grow up, they unknowingly become best friends and ‘blood brothers’. Their mother, Mrs Johnstone (brilliantly played by Lyn Paul) has to keep a deep dark secret – she must never tell her ‘adopted son’ that she is his mother or let her son know he has a brother. As the twins grow up, they couldn’t be any further apart on the social spectrum; Mickey ends up in prison and Edward becomes a councillor.
Superstition features heavily in this play, especially in the Lyons household where superstition is the main cause of everything going wrong. Highly strung and neurotic Mrs Lyons (Sarah Jane Buckley) is hiding the guilty secret of her son even from husband who has no idea that Edward is not their natural son. Even though this musical is a hard hitting drama, it is also extremely funny. The characters of Mickey (played by Sean Jones) and Edward (Joel Benedict) bring light relief to such an intricate story and the Liverpool accent is a warm attraction to the characters. Linda (played by Danielle Corlass) plays a great girlfriend to Mickey and later, confidante to Edward.
The song lyrics are a warm mixture of sorrow and joy – many sung by Mrs Johnstone have a reference to Marilyn Monroe, which at times encourages and sustains our empathy with her. Even though this is a musical, due to the acting and the story told by the narrator it doesn’t feel like it’s song after song which sets it apart from the others.
The ending is inevitable – we saw it at the very start so knew it ended badly and the noise made me jump out of my seat!
Definitely 5/5 for this amazing performance.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £14.90 to £49.90 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
Blood Brothers is at the Liverpool Empire until 1 October 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 8713017.
Liverpool Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JE | 0844 8713017
