Reviewed by Louise Watts
Blood Brothers is one of those shows I have heard about and always meant to see when in London but sadly, I never got around to it. Thankfully for me, it is now touring and as a result I managed to see it for the first time yesterday evening on it’s opening night at The Hawth in Crawley.
I had ideas in my head as to how I thought the show may be, but nothing could have prepared me for probably the most emotive story I have ever seen performed on stage. The story revolves around boy twins (Mickey and Eddie) who are separated shortly after birth resulting in one being raised in a wealthy home (Eddie) and one being raised in a council house by a single mother who can barely make ends meet (Mickey). It is easy to assume that Eddie would have the best life, but is that actually the case?
The boys meet throughout their childhood completely oblivious to the fact they are twins and form a unique bond. Against their mothers wishes, this friendship carries on through to adulthood when they fall for the same girl and ultimately, tragically depart this world together just as they had entered it, leaving their mothers’ heartbroken.
Neither Sean Jones (Mickey) or Mark Hutchinson (Eddie) are new to Blood Brothers. Amongst other credits to their names, they have both performed Blood Brothers in the West End and in fact were both playing these roles when the show finished its run in the Phoenix Theatre (after over 10000 shows!). This showed in their performances which were nothing short of perfect. They both carried the roles superbly and their emotive connection and humour were displayed beautifully.
The shows leading lady was played by Linzi Hateley who has countless credits to her name and also an Olivier Award Nomination and Theatre World Award. She played the part of the boys’ biological mother (Mrs. Johnstone). The rawness in her performance and the emotion in her singing were incredible. I had a tear in my eye as she gave her baby away so he could have a “better life” with no comprehension of what the future would hold for him. Her rendition of “My Child” was gut wrenching and heart-breaking.
The story is told using a narrator. I have only ever seen this done in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat so I was unsure as to how this would work in Blood Brothers but needless to say Robbie Scotcher was an outstanding narrator with an incredible voice who for me also acted as the mothers’ conscience. He kept reminding us as the audience that you cannot just give a child away and not have some consequences later on. He sang “Shoes Upon the Table” with force and conviction. We all knew tragedy was coming but were unsure when and how.
The other star for me who should be feeling very proud after her outstanding performance yesterday evening was Danielle Corlass who played the boys’ love interest Linda. Linda started the show as a young nearly 8-year-old and by the end had blossomed into a young woman and mother. Her part was not the biggest role but essential. You really felt for her as a young woman with the challenges life was throwing at her. The scene where Mickey is begging her for his tablets but she wants her Mickey back is nothing short of devastatingly brilliant!
The songs where written and performed amazingly and told the story really well. My personal favourite was the final song “Tell Me It’s Not True” sung by Mrs. Johnstone as her boys had just passed away. I had tears in my eyes and butterflies in my stomach watching the heartbreak in her face and the devastation their deaths had on Linda. This had to be the most emotive scene I have ever seen in the theatre. It took every ounce of control not to let those tears out. As if that wasn’t enough, Mrs. Johnstone made one final gesture with the boys’ hands showing that they should be together in death just as they were in birth – truly magnificent theatre.
The set was very impressive. There were various scene changes, but they were not at all disruptive and the sets were very realistic and set the scene perfectly showing the differences between wealth and poverty. Costumes also were exactly as you would expect for those walks of life.
When the show ended, the audience swiftly rose to their feet to give a standing ovation, which in my opinion was thoroughly deserved by every actor and musician who performed in the show.
The staff at The Hawth were helpful and pleasant as always and the bar staff work very hard to ensure waiting time is as little as possible for those who have not ordered drinks in advance. Parking is easy with the large free on-site car park. There were several school coach parties last night so parking was even easier than usual.
I would thoroughly recommend Blood Brothers to anyone interested in a very emotive nature/nurture debate. Don’t forget your tissues as you may well need them. There are a few episodes of bad language so I would set a lower age limit of around 12 years for this show. I am already planning my next trip to see it again!
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £30 to £40 (booking fees may apply).
Blood Brothers is at The Hawth in Crawley from 16-20 October 2018, for more information or to book tickets visit hawth.co.uk or call the box office on 01293 553636.
The Hawth, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, Sussex, RH10 6YZ | 01293 553636
