The house lights go down, mournful notes swell, as the curtain rises on a tragic tableau the narrator steps forward and asks: “So, did you hear the story of the Johnstone twins?”
The opening of the touring production of Blood Brothers at Eden Court had us hooked from the get go.
You could hear a pin drop in the auditorium as the rapt audience hung on the cast’s every word, with nary a wrapper rustle or a whisper to be heard in the stalls.
As a lifelong fan of Willy Russell’s seminal work on class and fate, I expected nothing less, and had jumped at the chance to review the show as it toured into Inverness.
Aware of my bias in favour of a favourite show, I took along a teenager for balance.
I thought seeing the show almost three decades after my first time in the West End might pose some questions they could help answer:
- Has the dramatic backdrop stood the test of time?
- Does the score still stand up in the time of Tik Tok and Taylor?
- Can Blood Brothers hold the attention of the YouTube generation?
One look at her shining eyes during the final curtain call of a performance that brought the whole house to their feet answered all three with a resounding yes.
Of course, the credit for that affirmative lies squarely with the talented and competent cast.
Sean Jones’s Mickey was a tour de force; as believable as a cheeky seven (sorry, nearly eight) year-old as he was as an ex-con in the grips of addiction.
Through seamless age transitions that carried an unquestioning audience along unbidden, Jones’s performance was stand-out, as was that of Gemma Broderick as his constant companion, Linda.
Alongside Joe Sleight’s admirable Eddie, the pair perfectly balanced the light and dark of the piece – keeping the audience entertained with moments of levity while never straying from authentic representations of the personalities they embodied.
Vivienne Carlyle excelled in the role of Mrs Johnstone – elevating the musical numbers with heartfelt performances loaded with equal parts warmth and raw emotion, while Scott Anson’s narrator carried off his often ominous presence with aplomb.
The subtle immersive elements of the denouement contributed to a breathtakingly dramatic conclusion, which was swiftly followed by a well-deserved full standing ovation from the Eden Court audience.
Blood Brothers is on at Eden Court until Saturday, with limited tickets still available. Don’t miss it, it could be sometime before the planets align for a production as special as this.