By James Clifford
Blood Brothers is the story of twins who are separated at birth and later reunited with tragic results. The action begins in Liverpool in the 1950s and ends in the early 1980s when the play was first performed.
It was originally conceived as a school play, with the score being added later for the professional stage.
A score presents a particular challenge to an amateur company, but musical director Laura Wallace does a fine job. The orchestra, under conductor Angharad Parkes, provides a melancholy soundtrack with the occasional flourish that fits the mood well, and some of the actors are particularly good when it comes to the musical numbers.
Suzie Dickson (as Mrs. Johnstone, who gives one twin to her employer, Mrs. Lyons) is outstanding throughout. Nicolas Picard (as Edward, the son she gives away) also had some pleasing vocal moments. Adam Roberts, as the narrator, is not at his most comfortable when singing, but is otherwise excellent.
The audience is told at the very beginning how things are going to end, but he manages to maintain an air of foreboding throughout.
There is a wonderful turn from Cecelia Audouin as Linda, the girl next door who is loved by both brothers, particularly in the second act as a flirtatious 14-year-old. The scene in which she seduces the awkward Mickey (played by the excellent Simon Bee) is a reminder of the maturity gap between boys and girls.
Michaela Adams plays Mrs. Lyons, the middle-class woman who has everything but the child she craves. Mrs. Lyons is certainly a villain, playing on the superstitions of Mrs. Johnstone to persuade her to hand over her child, and then breaking her promise to let her see him. But she is also tragic, especially as she comes to realise that Edward will never truly be hers, and Adams captures this well.
Michael McLaughlin is entertaining in a range of characters, from Mickey and Edward’s elder brother, Sammy, to Mr. Lyons who believes until the end that Edward is his natural son.
There are also pleasing performances, in various roles, from Adrian Anglin, Maya Tatum and Victoria King.
Anglin’s policeman threatens working-class Mrs. Johnstone, and then shares a whisky with middle-class Mr. Lyons after apprehending the two boys for precisely the same misdemeanour.
Maya Tatum’s Donna Marie conveys her transformation from kid to married mother of three with a simple turn of the head.
Victoria King’s Miss Jones takes dictation from Mr. Lyons (we are still in the 1980s) with an innocent smile until she discovers that the final redundancy notice is hers.
However, the stars of the show are undoubtedly Dickson and Bee. The Liverpool accent is one of the most recognisable in the UK, but imitating it without lapsing into parody is not easy. It would not be a surprise if Dickson turned out to be from Liverpool, and when Bee bursts on stage as the loveable Mickey, who tells us in perfect Scouse that he “is seven, but nearly eight,” we know we are in for a treat.
The programme says that this is Bee’s first acting role. If true, this is an amazing performance.
Set, sound and costume all work seamlessly and unobtrusively as the story traverses three decades in a little over two-and-a-half hours.
The orchestra is onstage throughout, visible enough to remind us that the music is live, but far enough backstage to avoid distracting us from the performers in front of them.
The pacing in the first act is a little slow at times, and the denouement loses some of its impact because the policeman who fires the fatal shot is off-stage. But these things are easy enough to change, and the rest of Bex Robinson’s direction is skilful and assured.
Blood Brothers has not been made into a film because playwright Willy Russell was never presented with an adaptation that he was happy with, so the only place to see it is on the stage.
This production is a wonderful staging of a musical that ran in London’s West End for nearly 25 years. Catch it while you can.
Blood Brothers by the Cayman Drama Society is playing at the Prospect Playhouse, until 10 June. Performances are at 7:30pm on 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 June, and at 3pm matinees on 28 May, 4 and 10 June.
Visit https://ticket.cds.ky/blood-brothers-musical for tickets.
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