Blood Brothers the Play

Having seen and enjoyed the musical version of Blood Brothers many times, I was intrigued to see the original 1981 play for schools from which Willy Russell developed the 1983 musical. It was surprisingly similar – word for word in places – but with a smaller cast and a streamlined plot focussing on the two key relationships and the themes of class, nature vs. nurture, and fate.

We were greeted by a super set, designed by the talented Southsea Stage Crafters and built by Tony Silk, showing a Liverpool back street with such good perspective that it felt like the stage was actually a lot bigger than it is. The furniture and clever triangular flats were quickly brought on and off by the efficient stage crew, however I felt some of the longer changes that held up the action could have had a little music to accompany them. Elsewhere, music was used very effectively to set the tone and time period – Cilla Black’s Liverpool Lullaby was, for me, particularly evocative of the time. It also helped to have the year the action was taking place prominently displayed – a nice touch. I must also compliment Chris Wrein on guitar and harmonica for providing some extra colour. Lighting and sound effects (Paul Impey) throughout were very effective, and good use was made of the little side stage as an extra location.

Director Penny Verity has chosen a good cast and guided them well through the process of bringing the story to life. The pace was good throughout and we really felt an emotional connection with the characters.

Like the musical, the play uses a Narrator, a judge-like character telling the story and constantly reminding the audience of impending tragedy. Raj Khan ably filled this role reciting his rhyming lines so clearly that I realised I’d never really heard them all before. I’m not sure whether the introductory song was part of the play or borrowed from the musical, but it was sung well and set the scene nicely. Sophie Castle was magnificent as Mrs Johnston. She maintained a great Scouse accent, and we really felt her anguish at giving up one of her twins and understood why she wanted to stay close to him. Lexi Brannigan was a good contrast, believably neurotic and well-heeled, but we also understood her fear of losing her precious son.

The two twins, Mickey and Eddie, were well played by Dylan Gover and, newcomer to Phoenix Players, Jarod Collins, and are key to the play. Both gave an intelligent interpretation of their characters. They each aged down nicely, releasing their inner child making believable 8- 10- and 14-year-olds before maturing into adults. Both put a lot of feeling into their arguments, and we really felt Mickey’s resentment at owing everything to Eddie. Both gave strong performances, maintaining their distinct accents well and demonstrating a good range of emotions from burgeoning friendship to betrayal. Wardrobe mistress Lydia Shepard helped greatly with the aging process, making their costumes suitable to their ages and backgrounds. Thea Hogg also gave a strong performance as Linda the lifelong friend of both twins, who acts as peacemaker but ultimately breaks the friendship. With a great accent, we really believed in her as a streetwise survivor.

The many other characters were brought to life by Steven Penfold, Jo Webb, Chris Wrein, Angie Childs, Fiona Fiander and Lynda Saunders, each taking on multiple roles, and the image of Lynda Saunders releasing her inner 8-year-old child will stay with me for a long time!!

As always with this group, the programme was a top-quality piece, with lots of information about the cast and good rehearsal photos – all credit to Sass Adams.

Penny Verity, assisted by Lillian Clark, and the talented cast and production team have done full justice to this lovely, emotional play, which was all the better for concentrating on the central characters and issues. Thank you all for a great evening’s entertainment.

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