Blood Brothers at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff – review

Cardiff theatre
Blood Brothers Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff

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Thanks to Wales Millennium Centre for providing us with review tickets to Blood Brothers

Still selling out theatres more than 40 years since it first took to the stage, Blood Brothers is at Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre this week as part of its latest UK tour. And this emotionally powerful tale of social inequality is as relevant today as it was when Willy Russell wrote it in 1981.

Set in Liverpool in the 1960s to 1970s, twins Mickey and Eddie are separated at birth because their council estate mother-of-seven, abandoned by her husband, can’t afford two more mouths to feed. When her wealthy employer Mrs Lyons, unable to have a child of her own, suggests she takes one of the babies and promises to provide everything the child could ever need, a deal is struck, with both mothers vowing to keep the other twin’s existence secret. Yet the two boys happen to meet again aged seven and, despite their very different backgrounds, become firm friends. Their lives intertwine over many years, with their very differing life experiences ultimately leading to tragedy.

Sean Jones is Mickey. The Denbigh-born actor has played this role on and off for some 20 years, although interestingly, according to his social media posts, while he’s performed in Cardiff on many occasions, this is the first time he’s played the role at Wales Millennium Centre. He certainly has the part down to a tea, equally at home playing the energetic seven year old who gallops around on an imaginary horse and has pretend gun fights with the neighbourhood kids as he is as adult Mickey, dealing with unemployment and resorting to desperate measures to support his pregnant wife, childhood friend and first love Linda (Gemma Brodrick). His portrayal of a depressed young man addicted to prescription drugs is immensely powerful, his dead-behind-the-eyes glazed look, slightly slurred speech and stumbling movements very convincing.

Joe Sleight is well-cast as the well-mannered and well-educated Eddie, whose privileged life is mapped out from boarding school to university to proper job but who takes a little bit of Mickey’s feistiness with him wherever he goes Scott Anson plays the Narrator, moving the story on while lurking on the stage in such an eerie and foreboding way; you often forget he’s there until he starts singing.

Blood Brothers Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff

Vivienne Carlyle is Mrs Johnstone, perfectly portraying the warm-hearted yet naïve mother who ultimately wants better for her big family but can’t seem to escape her circumstances. She gives such emotional depth to some of the musical’s most famous songs, including Marilyn Monroe, Bright New Day, and Tell Me It’s Not True.

Sarah Jane Buckley also gives a strong performance as Mrs Lyons, whose confident manipulation of Mrs Johnstone soon gives way to mental turmoil as she fears their secret will be discovered.

This is a typical British musical. Don’t expect dazzling dance numbers or brightly coloured sets and costumes. There are some really humours moments but generally, it’s gritty and raw, with the action taking place around the terraced houses of Liverpool.

I first saw Blood Brothers around 25 years ago (in fact, it was the first musical my now-husband and I ever saw together as skint students) and have watched it at least six times in total. But, even knowing the story and being prepared for the dramatic and emotional final scene, I still found myself in tears. Perhaps that’s because this is the first time I’ve watched it with one of my own children, with my 12 year old experiencing it for the first time. He’s a big musicals fan and thought it was really clever the way the story built up, with small elements in the first act paving the way for the dramatic ending.

With an age guidance of 12+, and having been a staple on the GCSE syllabus for more than 30 years, this is an especially great musical for those of you with older children. It says so much about class divide, poverty, crime and mental health, and, with more than 30%, a staggering 4.3 million children in the UK living in poverty, it’s sadly still so relevant today. My son and I certainly had lots to discuss on the way home.

It’s on until Saturday with limited tickets still available. If you get the chance to watch it, we really recommend it.

Blood Brothers is at Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday 24 August with performances at 7.30pm daily and 2.30pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Running time is 2h 50, age guidance 12+ with no admittance to under 2s. Limited tickets are still available, priced from £18. More information here.

Blood Brothers is touring extensively throughout 2024 and early 2025. See the full tour dates here.

Production photos by Jack Merriman, with some images featuring a previous cast.

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