I was invited to The Orchard Theatre, Dartford to see Willy Russell's, BLOOD BROTHERS on Tuesday 19th November 2020. I was excited to review this show, as I've seen it a few times before and it is without a doubt, one of my favourites. As soon as the overture began, I knew it was going to be special.
The cast was announced as a few of the understudies were on that evening, most notably, Tim Churchill as 'The Narrator' and Connor Bannister as 'Mickey.' I always love to see the understudies perform, as from my own acting experience, I know that these actors are always exceptional to be able to understudy so many roles.
"...heartfelt, funny, heart-breaking and breath-taking..."
This musical takes place in Liverpool, and follows the story of the Johnstone family. Mrs Johnstone, played by Lyn Paul, has been left high and dry by her husband, with seven children and one more on the way. To put food on the table she takes a job at the 'Lyon's' household as a cleaner, and she is just managing to keep afloat when she finds out that she is, in fact, expecting twins. Unable to cope financially, she agrees to give one of the twins to Mrs Lyon's, who is unable to conceive herself, to bring up as her own. They make a pact to never tell the boys that they are brothers, and it is from here that the superstition and butterfly effect take hold.
The set was beautifully designed to set the scene of rich and poor, and the streets of Liverpool, with the small terrace council houses and the large home of the well-off Lyon's book-ending the stage, the action all took place in between the two homes. The orchestra was fantastic, really setting the mood and the atmosphere in The Orchard's newly refurbished auditorium and the voices had a beautiful reverb, allowing them to swim out over the music.
Leading the cast, was the most 'famous' Mrs Johnstone, Lyn Paul, once more reprising the role after 20 years in and out of the show, in this, her farewell tour. A safe pair of hands, Lyn Paul's strength is clearly her unbelievable singing voice, so full of emotion, soul and warmth. Every time she sang, I felt as though I could be listening to the soundtrack, her voice is so perfectly suited to the role. She told the story well, and provided one of the most devastating renditions of, "Tell Me It's Not True" that I have ever heard, and when she "tucked" the boys in with her coat at the end of the show, I couldn't hold back the tears.
The narrator, played in this performance by Tim Churchill, had a strong voice and great presence on stage, he played the part very well and I loved his ability to create tension and fear on stage. I can't imagine it is an easy part to get right, as the narrator is always just slightly outside the story, but he certainly did it well.
Danielle Corlass as Linda was wonderful, from the cute and feisty little girl, to the despairing adult, she is an excellent story teller and she supported "Mickey" played by Connor Bannister flawlessly. Bannister was sensational as the cheeky Mickey, and his journey from seven year old (nearly eight!) to the broken man he becomes is heartbreaking. I found myself sobbing throughout Act 2, purely out of sympathy for him. This is the first time I have seen this show since becoming a mother myself, and seeing how things turn out for Mickey had a new meaning when considering how life can affect our children. Seeing the contrast between Mickey and Eddie's lives was fascinating.
Eddie was played by Joel Benedict, who played the character with such wonderful naivety, very endearing and a wonderful onstage bond between the twins. Quite the dynamic duo.
Overall, I would say this is definitely not one to miss, heartfelt, funny, heart-breaking and breath-taking, I couldn't control my tears whilst watching it and my praise on reflection. It is on at The Orchard Theatre from now ,until Saturday 23rd November, the best piece of theatre I have seen in a long time!
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