Blood Brothers – Floral Pavilion

Floral Pavilion, New Brighton welcomes Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers back for the start of its 2024 UK tour and tonight’s full house audience were lucky enough to be there to witness it. This venue is the nearest venue to the story’s origins of Liverpool on this tour and the audiences are fully behind this show with an almost sold-out week, give or take a few single seats throughout before the show has even opened.

Directed by Bob Tomson and the late Bill Kenwright, this classic musical has been entertaining the masses for over 40 years and is a favourite that has audience members returning time and time again.

The joy with this show is not just the story, but the music, the heart and the cast who return over and over to the point they become part of the family.

Returning to the Floral Pavilion just a few weeks after finishing performing together in the Floral Pavilion Christmas panto are Sean Jones and Joe Sleight as the Johnstone twins, Mickey and Eddie. Both returning to the roles and a joy to see on stage, Sleight was part of the 2015 UK tour, returning to save the day in 2022, now taking over the role of Eddie full time. And the incredible Jones, who is in his 25^th year with the show and still manages to bring a freshness and innocence to the role, we are in very safe hands here.

Returning to the role of Mrs Johnstone is Niki Colwell Evans who has the most beautiful vocals, that have the audience in the palm of her hands and Scott Anson, returning to the role of the Narrator 20 years later, a character who is always there, waiting and observing. Anson brings a darkness to the role that gives you chills. Blood Brothers is a story of love, loss, and friendship, and we see a great deal of that on stage with this hugely talented cast. Delivering heart-breaking performances, with songs such as Easy Terms, I’m Not Saying A Word and the tear jerking Tell Me It’s Not True, this cast take us on a journey and a half, from innocent children playing in the street and making innocent promises “Do you want to be Blood Brothers” to crazed, jealous fuelled rampage “Madman” we are shown why this show runs on and on and has the audience drawn back time and time again.

Opening nights rarely go without a hitch and there were a few lighting issues, especially with spotlights and one or two mic issues but these can be forgiven in the grand scheme of the full story. Lighting designed by Nick Richings is creative, atmospheric, and completely changes the mood when needs to, with sound designed by Dan Samson, helping bring the whole piece together. I felt there were a few issues when it came to accents with a couple of cast members, possibly due to it being opening night, they were a little all over the place and I felt that some cast were maybe focussing too much on getting an accent perfect that it took away from what they were saying, occasionally coming across mumbled or spoken much too fast. Hopefully, they will relax a little more in the roles, as mentioned earlier, most of these are returning to the roles and have done it incredibly before.

The band, led by Matt Malone, sounded incredible and worked hand in hand with the cast to allow the story to be told how it should and the emotion time to be felt.

With the whole audience ending the show in tears followed by a full standing ovation, this gives the cast and the show the utmost credit it deserves.

Blood Brothers runs at the Floral Pavilion until Saturday 10^th February 2024 before going off on its tour. The last few tickets are available at https://www.floralpavilion.com/

Reviewer Damian Riverol

Reviewed: 6^th February 2024

North West End UK Rating: