"Blood Brothers" by Willy Russell

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

"So did you here the story
Of the Johnston Twins
As like each other as two new pins
Of one womb born on the self-same day
How one was kept and one given away

And did you never hear how the Johnston's died
never knowing that they shared one name
till the day they died when a mother cried
my own dear sons lie slain

And did you never hear of a mother so cruel
there's a stone in place of her heart
Then bring her on and judge for yourselves
How she came to play this part."

This opening is one of the most iconic openings for a musical and anyone who knows me, knows that "Blood Brothers" is my all time, as well as current, favourite musical so, given that, you can guarantee that this is going to be ever so slightly biased. In the last ten years, I've seen this musical eight times, this is the ninth.

For anyone who doesn't know the story it's all about Mrs Johnstone who has several children and takes a job cleaning for Mrs Lyons. Just as she is making ends meet, Mrs J discovers that she is pregnant again, with twins. An agreement is struck between the two women that when the twins are born Mrs J would give one of the babies away to her employer, Mrs Lyons, who has discovered that she is having problems conceiving. Mrs Lyons then sacks Mrs Johnstone and moves away to the country with her husband and Eddie, the twin to Mickey. Thinking that this has separated the two forever turns out to be far from what she had planned.

The story is one of the most powerful in British theatre and, like a game of football, it's in two halves. the first being high spirited and comical with the adults playing the kids. Life is carefree for the kids but not so much for the parents. Act One ends on a high, giving no premise to the dark act two to come. Although this musical is 42 years old, it's still as fresh today and covers the subjects of depression, murder, addiction, class, secrets and superstition, which is why it's one of the most popular musicals around. And there's not many musicals who can turn the atmosphere around as fast as this one with its' subject matter.

Vivienne Carlyle plays Mrs Johnstone, who I saw last in this role in January of this year, so straight away I knew I was in for a great night. A powerhouse of a role for any actor to take on, due to the emotional commitment required. Vivienne's voice is so expressive at all ends of the scale and has the comedy element down pat; but she knows how to pull at your heart strings as well. Even after seeing this musical as many times as I have, that ending still gets me every single time. 

Kristofer Harding, who I saw last in 2016 in this role, is The Narrator, adding that touch of menace, as if the devil had their number and was watching over the families. A vital role in this musical, applying the glue to the storylines, sprinkling a supernatural unease whenever he appears. A dark character that often haunts the background like a circling shark, creating tension and atmosphere. The "Devil" that can only be seen by the paranoid Mrs Lyons, whose number he certainly has!

It's so good to see Sean Jones back as Mickey. As far as I can remember I have seen Sean in this role almost every time that I have seen this show and for me, he is Mickey. No-one plays this character in the same way as Sean does. As always, his performance is great fun to watch as the seven - nearly eight year old. In comparison, as adult Mickey, he creates an aura of a very different kind, and he still evokes that nervousness in me, even though I know this musical so well, he still makes me believe in the role.

Joe Sleight returns as Eddie, Mickey's blood brother. As always, it's wonderful to see, and hear the change from a seven-year-old to a local Housing Councillor, making the time change absolutely believable. The costumes for both Mickey and Eddie also make this credible as they grow out of shorts and jumpers into work clothes. I have it on reliable authority that Sean is only on his third baggy green jumper since he has played the character. Joe's vocals are very easy on the ear, harmonising beautifully with the duets he gets to sing.

Paula Tappenden returns as Mrs Lyons. I've had the pleasure of seeing Paula in this role previously, so I know how good she is. The decline in her sanity creates a perfect tension, driven by the Narrator's invisible intervention. The duet with Vivienne, "My Child", when they are both musing about how their child is going to be raised is quite a sad affair, especially when you know the future that their child has coming. A gorgeous pairing of voices.

Mr Lyons is played by Tim Maxwell-Clarke in the performance seen on Tuesday night. Mr Lyons injects a levelling influence within the Lyons family, or tries to, but his wife seems to wear the trousers in this relationship, and makes all the decisions while he earns the money.

Gemma Brodrick plays Linda, and for anyone who has not seen "Blood Brothers" ever before, you get to see an actor portraying a character who grows from a gangly street kid to a sexy, long-legged teenager and through to a defeated wife and mother. I first saw Gemma in this role at the start of the year in Derby, so again, I knew this role was in safe hands. Her guttural scream when she races into the Council Offices at the end completely rips through you, showing the emotion and passion Gemma injects into this part.

Michael Gillette plays Sammy, Mickey's big, bullying brother, and one of the new cast members. Filling Daniel Taylor's boots as Sammy was always going to be a big ask, but Michael does this role justice. Anyone who has seen this musical before may spot a couple of subtle additions to Sammy's part like the part in the first act when it's announced they are all going to be re housed and Mickey grabs Sammy's hand in excitement, and Sammy pulls his hand away with a look of disgust, showing a particular bond between the younger brother, but not the other way around.

Alex Harland, another "Blood Brothers" regular, is the Policeman, who shows the different ways that the law deal with the different classes.

Francesca Benton-Stace doubles up as Donna-Marie, Mrs Johnstone's elder daughter, and Miss Jones, who has the unenviable task of typing out the redundancy letters to Mickey and the rest of the workforce, as well as her own! Francesca is another new name in the cast who blends into this family style cast excellently.

Graeme Kinniburgh is the Bus Conductor and Postman, but also plays various other roles in the ensemble.

Danny Knott plays Perkins, the "goody-goody", nerdy school boy, as well as other characters in the ensemble.

Dominic Gore reprises his role as the Neighbour, and like some of the others, also plays various other roles.

Latesha Karisa  plays Brenda, Linda's friend.

Much of the cast has not changed over the years and this shows that the producers and directors have so much faith in these actors to give incredible performances. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! It may be corny to say but this cast have an obvious chemistry, and not only on stage, and while on tour become a family, and that shows from the way that they perform on stage. 

Co Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, the pace and presentation is perfect. Resident Director is Tim Churchill, whose name you may know if you're a "Blood Brothers" geek like me, as the actor who normally plays Mr Lyons.

The songs in this show, for me anyway, are just brilliant. From the playful “Kids’s Games” to the optimistic “Bright New Day”, the jazzy "Long Sunday Afternoon", the wistful “Marilyn Monroe” to the iconic “Tell Me It’s Not True”, which on it’s own, played on the radio is a beautiful ballad. In the context of this musical it is highly emotional. Willy Russell who is a great playwright also wrote the score for this musical. Musical Supervisor for this show is Matt Malone.

The set, designed by Andy Walmsley, doesn't really change but is as iconic as the musical itself.

The lighting design, by Nick Richings, is also one of the most technical for this musical, and the timings of such has to be spot on, which they all were, as usual.

A wonderful Sound Designer in Dan Samson with a gorgeous use of echo throughout. I sometimes note that the sound design for shows in the Theatre Royal is not always the best, but tonight the quality of the sound was perfect.

This story of brotherhood, motherhood, friendship, love, superstition, jealousy and depression will always be relevant, and as long as the emotional element remains as high as it has over the last few decades, this musical will remain one of the best loved pieces of musical theatre.

It's one of the most outstanding pieces of theatre ever - I did say earlier that I was biased, but rightly so - and tonight the standing ovation was probably the longest I've seen for any musical. There can't be too many musicals that give you such a thrill, no matter how many times you see it, and even with a musical that does not have a happy outcome, the appreciation from the packed Theatre Royal audience was plain to see.

Go and see this if you've never seen it before, and if you have seen it before, go and see it again, and take your hanky, you'll need it! Still, in my humble opinion, the best musical running, and as comfortable as slipping into a comfy pair of slippers; obviously not placed on the table!

The wonderful “Blood Brothers” is at Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 13 September.