Blood Brothers tour opening night Milton Keynes theatre

I loved Blood Brothers the first time I saw it years ago, and couldn’t wait to see it again. Last time I saw one of the Nolan sisters in the lead role of Mrs Johnstone, this time there were no celebrity stars, which I don’t mind at all. The opening night of Blood Brothers tour at Milton Keynes theatre was as good as I could have expected. Aided by probably one of the best seats in the house just above the sound and lighting team.

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If you don’t know the story, Blood brothers set in Liverpool, and is about twins born to a single mother of multiple children. Her rich employer can’t have a baby so forces Mrs Johnstone to give up one of her twins when they’re born. Relying on Mrs Johnstone’s superstition, a story is told to keep the boys apart as they grow up. One grows up rich and privileged, the other grows up having had a tough life, and getting into trouble like his older brother.

But the boys meet by chance while playing, and become best friends and blood brothers. But not everything goes as the parents want or the children themselves as we see them grow up through teens and into young adulthood.

Vivienne Carlyle as Mrs Johnstone plays the hard up,  good hearted mother brilliantly, and she has a beautiful clear but powerful voice. While the contrast with stuck up, stilted, unnatural Mrs Lyons is a total opposite, but similarly played well.

Sean Jones as Mickey and Danny Knott as Eddie were good as the twins with their differences. Kristofer Harding was the Narrator telling the story through the good and evil side of his character.

The music has lasted well over the years, with catchy tunes and emotional ballads. Willy Russell’s musical is full of angst, trust, lies and passion throughout and continues to pull at the heart strings as the unfortunate story unfolds.

With adults playing the children of the cast, it was sometimes hard to hear the words in the ensemble songs over the affected voices put on. But it didn’t detract from the overall performance.

There are the sweet touches as the twins make friends, and share what you’d expect to be typical conversations amongst children in groups, between boys and girls, and siblings. Funny moments in the script lighten the serious story. And everyone around me jumped at the crucial moment, despite many of us obviously having seen the show before.

I knew I would yet again bawl my eyes out at the last powerful song ‘Tell me it’s not true’. It never fails to get me. I’ll be looking out my soundtrack to listen to it again. 

I’d not realised that the front of the stalls was open with the band in the pit, until right near the end. It’s always nice to have a proper live band, and they were excellent.

If you get chance to catch the tour, I recommend it whether it’s a return or first time visit.