Darlington Hippodrome – until Saturday 5 February 2022
5*****
The perennial favourite Blood Brothers makes a welcome return to Darlington, as part of its current UK tour. This haunting and beautifully tragic story starts at the end and then returns to the beginning to see how the story brought us to that point.
Set in Liverpool, we hear the story of the Johnstone twins and how poverty drives Mrs Johnstone (Niki Evans) to give away one of the babies to her employer Mrs Lyons (Paula Tappenden). Mrs Lyons is desperate for a child and takes advantage of Mrs Johnstones superstitious nature to ensure the boys never find out they are brothers.
Mickey (Sean Jones) stayed with his single-parent mum, living from hand to mouth, in a council house full of children and poverty. Eddie (Joel Benedict) lives with the Lyons, with a mum and dad, in a large house with a garden and all the advantages his twin never had. Despite the mothers intentions the boys meet and sustain a friendship, a blood brothers pact, from the age of 7 (but nearly 8).
The story is moved forward by the Narrator (Robbie Scotcher). In some interpretations of the musical, the Narrator is almost demonic, spreading malevolence and exuding menace, but Scotcher is more of a philosophical entity. His powerful vocals give you a shiver up your spine, as he judges with a cold condemnation.
Sean Jones returns to play Mickey for the last time, which is an incredible shame, for he has really made the part his own. From his convincing monologue of a 7 year old to growing up and finding love with Linda (Carly Burns). Becoming a father aged 18, losing his job, going to prison after being led astray by older brother Sammy (Daniel Taylor) and his tragic decline into depression and a reliance on anti-depressants. His acting is phenomenal. You believe he is child, riding his imaginary horse, you believe his terror at becoming a father when still a child himself and you believe his tragic depression. He will be missed when he leaves this role.
Niki Evans is an emotional powerhouse, wringing every emotion out of her vocals as the downtrodden and tragic Mrs Johnstone. From child bride to middle aged granny. From poverty to getting by, you watch her grow, sympathising with her plight. Her vocals in the iconic Tell Me It’s Not True are heartbreakingly raw, her voice cracks with emotion and you genuinely believe she really is sobbing.
I don’t know if Willy Russell knew what a remarkable piece of theatre he was writing when he put pen to paper for Blood Brothers. But this production by Bill Kenwright is one of the finest versions I have seen and I can only urge you to pack your tissues and book a seat as soon as possible, if only to witness Sean Jones before he leaves.