This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour was invited to see Blood Brothers by Birmingham Hippodrome.
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre, Dave Massey spoke to Alex Patmore who plays Mickey in Blood Brothers about bringing the show back to Birmingham:
By Dave Massey twitter.com/BrumHour with additional comments by Becky Kroon twitter.com/BeckyKroon
The production features very strong language, gun violence, and corporal punishment against minors.
Review: Blood Brothers returns to Birmingham Hippodrome
Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, Written by Willy Russell
Told in flashbacks by an ever-present narrator (Robbie Scotcher), Mrs Johnstone (Lyn Paul) already has a houseful of children when her husband skips off to find another (younger) woman who looks like her. Mrs Johnstone is left pregnant again, this time with twins, she also has sympathy for Mrs Lyons (Paula Tappenden) who is unable to have any children of her own.
Financial circumstances mean that Mrs Johnstone lets Mrs Lyons pick one of the boys to take away, she picks Eddie (played here by Andy Owens) whilst Mickey (Alex Patmore) remains with his birth family including his unhinged brother Sammy (Danny Taylor). Mickey feels he was on the rejected path in life despite Linda (Danielle Corlass), a girl in his neighbourhood being hopelessly devoted to him. When Eddie and Mickey meet as young kids, they feel their bond and make a pact to always be blood brothers…
This is one of THOSE West End productions that you hear about in the same conversations as Les Misérables or The Phantom of the Opera or Evita. Absolutely massive in the 80s and 90s it finds itself told with a very different perspective in 2021. The policeman hitting the children around the head without repercussion. The blaming of the single mother for her financial troubles. Labelling kids from working-class and council backgrounds as troublemakers, and the exploration of mental health issues.
The set is two terraces along the wings with huge pieces that lower from the rafters to create rooms and the big outdoors. The costumes evoke the late sixties, the 70s and the early 80s with ease as we journey through time.
Having older characters play younger versions of those characters adds to the flashback feeling of visiting a different time as the musical explores religious guilt, superstition and its lyrical poetry. This feels like I’ve seen it before and brand new all at the same time. and it must be at least ten years since I saw it before as some of the songs are clear as yesterday and others bring back long lost memories.
Becky Kroon who also saw the media night with BrumHour said:
The physicality of all the actors from childhood, adolescence and adulthood was directed excellently – especially the physical, slapstick comedy depicting play fighting which slowly turned to more naturalistic, intense violence. It was very carefully choreographed and executed brilliantly.
The narrator had a constant presence throughout the story – an ominous and sometimes intrusive reminder of the tragic events that conclude the story.
The theme of motherhood is one I found extremely prominent throughout the show. The unbreakable bond between mother and son was displayed emotively through song. It was an extremely well-acted performance, with Lyn Paul remaining irreplaceable as Mrs Johnson in another blinding performance.
Blood Brothers is about a woman who used to look like Marilyn Monroe and who has lost her family before their time just like Marilyn too. The audience was enchanted throughout and the light touches of humour really helped balance out the seriousness of the tone.
Beautifully told and stunningly sung, Blood Brothers is at Birmingham Hippodrome until 13th November. The tour currently continues until 27th November 2021. Find out more here: kenwright.com/portfolio/blood-brothers
