Book, Music and Lyrics: Willy Russell
Directors: Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright
Few shows have had the cultural impact of Blood Brothers, Willy Russell’s emotional exploration of Britain’s struggles with class set in the industrial heart of the country, which has bee entertaining and challenging audiences since it opened at the Liverpool Playhouse some 43 years ago. Since then, it has become a true classic of British theatre, stewarded since 1988 by Bill Kenwright, playing on the West End, Broadway, and touring across both the UK and US.
This current tour is led by Blood Brothers favourite Sean Jones, returning to the role of Mickey, and Joe Sleight as Eddie. The pair work so well together that one pair sat behind me said during the interval that they thought they were actually brothers. Jones is no stranger to the show having been involved in the show, on and off, since 1999. His intimate knowledge of the show is clear as every emotional twist and turn of Mickey’s story is brought to life with energy and passion. Alongside him is Sleight, equally emotive in his delivery, who balances the realities of economic plenty with being a friend to a working-class family with ease.
Perhaps the standout performance of the evening is Gemma Brodrick as Linda. She is innocent, flirtatious, distraught, panicked, and hopeful all at the appropriate time. Brodrick’s understanding of her character, the third in an increasingly complicated friendship group, is clear and her ability to manage Linda’s relationship with every other character on stage.
It is in Vivienne Carlyle, as Mrs Johnstone, where the cast shows some weakness. Despite an incredible talent for acting, her almost operatic singing voice clashes with the down-to-earth vocals offered by the rest of the cast, while her Liverpudlian accent is the least consistent of the show.
The iconic role of the Narrator, presented on this tour as a more emotionally-engaged role than the removed outsider of previous tours, is played by Richard Munday who excels at guiding the story along, especially through his strong vocal performance and commanding leading of the ‘Summer Sequence’. Many returning audiences will immediately notice the difference a more engaged Narrator makes to the story as he taunts Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons with the constant reminder that the ‘Devil’s got your number’ and watches over Mickey, Eddie, and Linda as they grow up.
With Bill Kenwright’s version of Blood Brothers having been around for almost four decades, it is no surprise that the show is polished, with Nick Richings’ lighting design and Dan Samson’s sound design building on the show’s heritage, delivering high quality technical theatre helping bring the streets of Liverpool to life.
Blood Brothers has, rightly, earned its reputation as a modern classic and, with its theme of nature vs. nurture and its exploration of a difficult economic reality, it remains as relevant to audiences today as ever – and the 2026 tour is a proud addition to that legacy.
Runs until Saturday 25 April, then on tour.
