I was desperate to see Willy Russell’s, Blood Brothers at the Pavilion Theatre the year before last but unfortunately missed it, so now it’s back in Worthing for another run, I couldn’t refuse the opportunity to review it. I had heard really positive feedback from people who had seen it in the past and was told it was a ‘must see’, so I was hoping it would live up to my expectations.
Before the performance began, we couldn’t help but comment on the superb scenery, the stage appeared to be sloping which is an effect I had never seen before. The lights on stage were dim as each character entered the stage one by one. The narrator, Craig Price, not only told the story through song and rhyme but also played the voice of conscience throughout the play. At first, it was difficult to grasp he was the narrator as he was involved in the story as different characters, yet he watched in doorways and through windows as the tragic story of the twins’ lives was revealed.
Niki Evans, who made the semi-finals of The X Factor a few years ago played the birth-mother of the twins. She was brilliant in her portrayal of the easy going, Liverpudlian mother, Mrs Johnstone, who takes life as it comes and tries to give her children the best, despite being poor and a single mother. Her voice was powerful and convincing as was her acting.
Mickey, played by Sean Jones, was incredible, as was Eddie, played by Paul Davies. Their on-stage rapport was excellent and the audience were completely convinced that they were brothers despite them not knowing until the end of the play. For adults to play the part of young children 7 (but nearly 8!) must be a huge challenge, especially as their characters grow to adulthood as the play progresses, but there was never a moment when they faltered in speech or body language. Their friend Linda, played by Kelly-Anne Gower, was also excellent as a child and then mother.
The show is accompanied by a live orchestra which, I think, always adds something special to the atmosphere of a performance and they played superbly. However, I did think the cast, at times had difficulty singing above the music, especially the soloists. I wonder whether the orchestra realise just how loud they are when they are hidden in the pit and not sitting as a member of the audience. The excellent use of lighting and sound effects also helped create such a realistic atmosphere which had us feeling sad, happy and scared – especially at the end of the play! I feel I must also mention the direction which made the cast appear to work as one unit, which was excellent.
After much clapping and a standing ovation, I bustled out of the theatre on such a high. Everyone around me left with smiles on their faces, some even wiping tears from their eyes. This was because of the utterly exceptional performance given by the cast and a show not to be missed!
