Full disclosure that in well over forty years of watching and reviewing theatre I have always managed to avoid watching this musical paean to our Scouse cousins down the M62. I am certainly in the minority, as since its inception in 1983, Willy Russell’s ‘Liverpudlian Folk Opera’ has been garlanded with awards galore, toured the world and clocked up over 10,000 performances in the West End. So, after a little nudge from my Liverpool FC supporting editor, I braved the November sleet and snow and made the trip to the Palace Theatre in Manchester to catch its latest incarnation and finally see what all the fuss is about.
The story of the Johnstone twins ‘as like each other as two new pins’ and their enforced separation – one given a life of rich opportunity whilst the other is condemned to poverty, crime and desperation – is the stepping off point for our evening. I won’t waste any more of my word count relaying the details of their vicissitudes of fortune and Dickensian coincidence, as every GCSE Drama student is aware of the storyline, as well as the underlying themes of social class and inequality allied to superstition and fate inherent in the text.
When Russell conceived this musical in the early 1980’s it formed part of a Liverpudlian world view Along with Alan Bleasedale and Phil Redmond, he wrote against a backdrop of the Toxteth riots and Militant socialism, producing classic drama like ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’ and early ‘Brookside’. However, Russell is a different writer than his darker contemporaries, and as with ‘Shirley Valentine’ and ‘Educating Rita’, is much gentler in making his point. With him the velvet glove of humour replaces the iron gauntlet of argument, a style perhaps suited more to the medium of musical theatre, allowing the success of this production to be better understood.
The latest incarnation, produced by the late Bill Kenwright (Everton FC scrawled across the set wall throughout in tribute), has been touring the UK for all of 2024 and the slick performances of the cast, crew and creative team bear witness to a team who know exactly which levers to pull to play on the emotions of the packed press night audience. Vivienne Carlyle takes on the central role of Mrs Johnstone with gusto, more convincing in her early incarnation as fun loving young mum (Easy Terms) than in the heavier emotional second act (Tell Me It’s Not True) and is emotionally mirrored throughout by Sarah Jane Buckley as Mrs Lyons.
The supporting cast have ample opportunity to play a number of eye-catching cameos, excellent humour being derived from their multiple role playing, Gemma Brodrick is particularly effective as Linda, morphing from tomboyish child to Lolita like teen with humorous sexuality. Only the Narrator (Scott Anson) grated, not due to his performance, but the constant interruption to the narrative (Shoes on the Table) and faux Shakespearean couplets in which he spoke felt overwrought and unnecessary.
However, Sean Jones as Mickey was undoubtedly the star turn of the evening; oozing confidence and class, and convincing as either a young excited ‘scally lad’ or the later incarnation as a defeated and lost ex-con, he brought the sometimes dated language to life with vigour.
Although ‘Blood Brothers’ has elements of Russell’s roots as a radical ideologue and desperately wants to be edgy and socially satirical, it veers too much into cloying sentimentality to be placed in this category. This works beautifully as a musical and brought the audience to muffled sobs at the conclusion but was just too saccharine for this reviewer. Whatever its original intentions to display socialist zeal and Scouse bite, this has been gradually watered down over the intervening four decades, until it is much more Carla Lane than Karl Marx.
Reviewer: Fred Engels
Reviewed: 18th November 2024
North West End UK Rating: