Blood Brothers

Blood Brothers originally began its journey in the early 80s, starting out as a play in Liverpool before becoming a musical and achieving critical acclaim in the West End. It follows the story of Mrs Johnstone (Fiona Buchanan), a struggling single mother from Liverpool who can barely afford to feed her several children. In a twist of fate, her twin sons Mickey and Eddie (Will Boyd and Travis Holmes) grow up to have vastly different lives, but the ominous and omniscient Narrator (Lauren Gerry) warns her and infertile middle class lady Mrs Lyons (Jeanne Marshall) of the price they will one day be forced to pay.

Fiona Buchanan is a rare find in the Brisbane Musical Theatre world, playing the complex lead role of Mrs Johnstone. She brings enormous dignity and sympathy to her character as we watch her give away one of her babies and witness the fall-out from the decision. It’s an emotional rollercoaster and must be exhausting to play, but she nails it in every scene.

The first half is hilarious, thanks to some great comic timing from many characters, but mostly due to the portrayal of seven, no nearly eight-year-old, Mickey Johnstone by the fantastic Will Boyd. With a cheeky grin and infectious sense of mischief, he plays the role convincingly and has the audience in the pam of his hand from the outset. Later, his portrayal of a broken man, driven to desperate measures by poverty and medication, is equally convincing as he shuffles and mumbles his way through the scenes. Again, the audience is with him every step of the way.

Travis Holmes as Eddie, his long-lost twin brother, was also in fine form as the twin who has grown up at the opposite end of the social spectrum, but still having plenty in common with his brother. Aimee Monement as Linda, Mickey's long suffering girlfriend then wife, also creates two completely separate characters, with conviction comparable to professional actors. The chemistry between all three actors was pivotal in this show, especially to build up to the ultimate confrontation in the second half..

The rest of the cast serve the show well, diving in and out of effective sets, moving props on and off, impressing with quick changes and enriching the vocals. And they nail the two big ensemble numbers, the cute Kids’ Game and jolly sad (literally) Miss Jones. Musical Director Faron Swingler looks to be having a whale of a time and this manifests in the music – meaty, confident renditions of Russell’s score, backed up by an on-stage band hoisted above the set, framing the towering brick facades.

One common theme that’s found within Roslyn Johnsons’ direction of any show, is the ability to push the norm and incorporate modern technology and set design while still maintaining the dignity and time of the script. The most prominent addition for this show involved the use of cinematography to really compliment the scenes on-stage, cleverly created Jason Nash. There is a moment at the end of the production where the contrast of the band, the cinematography and the climax created by the actors, will send goose-bumps throughout your body.

In this particular show, the set design can be some-what ‘tired’ and ‘old’, however in this production the set is definitely a highlight. It is surprisingly simple but intricately designed to maximise the space as well as create a simple and effective transitions between scenes with next to no black-out time. The scene changes were minimal, if any, and without the seamless design the audience could have been taken on a very different emotional journey.

Whether it’s the portrayal of teen angst, a young mum struggling to raise a brood - and making the most difficult decision of her life - or middle-aged regret, there is something here for everyone to take away. This is a seriously strong production from director Roslyn Johnson and Beenleigh Theatre Group. If you haven’t heard the story of the Johnstone twins, now’s the time. But take tissues.

Mel Bobbermien