Review of Blood Brothers at Milton Keynes Theatre

Willy Russell's Blood Brothers is a remarkable show that, to any respectable theatre-goer, needs little introduction; however, a little introduction is still in order. First produced in 1983 in Liverpool, Russell had adapted the musical from a high school play he had written, introducing his own music and lyrics into the tale of the twins Mickey and Eddie, and their mother, Mrs Johnstone. From its very first run on stage at the Liverpool Playhouse, the sign was there that Blood Brothers was a very special show, and as a result, it now tours almost constantly in the UK, packing audiences wherever it goes. So, what can be said now that hasn't already been said?

Very little, really; however, I must try. This latest production, opening a new tour at Milton Keynes Theatre, continues the format of old and brings the story still vibrantly to life. Also, this new tour still includes someone who is now as much a part of the show as Russell himself. Sean Jones has now played Mickey, the youngest of the Johnstone twins, for well over twenty years, and you can see why. The role is truly his now, and his dedication to it is as remarkable as the show itself in many ways. He brings so much to the character, from the playfulness of youth to the broken man he is to become; they could not be so different. It is almost impossible to think of the show without him in the cast.

The rest of the cast is equally top-notch, and many have played their respective roles before on tours, making this a cast with strong familiarity with the show.

Vivienne Carlyle's Mrs Johnstone brings a slightly lighter touch to the role than past incarnations, bringing the hope for the future more than the downtroddenness often depicted, allowing especially for a less contrasting transition into the Bright New Day number that culminates the first act.

This lightness and more emotional take also influences Kristofer Harding's Narrator, who, especially in the second act, cares much more for the characters in his story with more emotion than I have seen before. Danny Knott as Eddie is a delight, an awkward and brilliant sparring partner for Jones' Mickey. His development from child to adult is not quite as stark as Mickey's decline, but still, Knott provides genuine progress from kid to councillor.

Both Paula Tappenden and Tim Churchill, as Mrs and Mr Lyons, return to their roles, and Tappenden, especially, is brilliant in her decline and distress; her character, haunted by her past, is desperate for life to become both under her control and far from the shadow of the Johnstones. The rest of the cast is fabulous, and as is always the case with Blood Brothers, there are many multi-character roles for the performers, often portrayed with humour in Russell's script.

The set and staging are as simple as they have always been, with very little adaptation needed, because this is a story about humanity and its characters, and is in no need of complex visuals. The music produced by musical director Jeremy Wootton and his band is of the highest quality, with a perfect sound level that allows the vital storytelling lyrics to be heard throughout.

There is deliberately no happy ending to Blood Brothers, avoiding the frivolous world of much musical theatre; however, its gritty realism is what makes the show such a stirring success, alongside its stunning catalogue of songs. Blood Brothers is a show that deserves endless repeat viewings, this being my own fourth time, and in this production, there is perhaps a little more light than darkness, even if the Johnstones' tale still ends in sorrow. A true classic of this and any time.

Did you hear the story of Blood Brothers, the musical that everyone must see?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Wednesday 27th August 2025 at the Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes.

Blood Brothers runs at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday, 30th August 2025.

For further details about Milton Keynes see their website at http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

Photos depict the previous production cast.

Review of Friends - The Musical Parody at Milton Keynes Theatre

The One Where 2026 starts in a world of confusion. And so, 2026 is upon us and for my first trip to the theatre this year, one of my most significant reviewing challenges was to occur. Touring to Milton Keynes Theatre is Friends - The Musical Parody , based, unsurprisingly, on that little American show that ran to a few audience members for ten years. However, I confess that I was not, and have never been in that audience, never having seen a single episode of the show. However, always up for a review challenge and doing my due diligence by having a Friends superfan as my plus one, I headed to Milton Keynes with anticipation. For those unfamiliar with the show, I could say I can’t help; however, a quick review of some of the information you might need (thanks, Google and my plus one). Running for ten years between 1994 and 2004 with 236 episodes (quiz question, you are welcome), the main characters consisted of Phoebe (ditzy, writer of sad songs), Monica (in possession of an unfeasibly...

Review of Matthew Bourne's Romeo + Juliet at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

Despite now having seen a few dance shows encompassing many different styles, I had yet to see one developed by Sir Matthew Bourne, a controversial player in his time, but as the relatively recent knighthood suggests, now very much embraced by the establishment. So, does Romeo + Juliet live up to his name, that is the question? So, first, this might normally be where I give you a brief outline of the story, but, for one, most have a general understanding of the love disaster of William Shakespeare's play already, and two, as it turns out from the Bourne production, a huge amount of what you might be familiar with has gone or been dramatically changed anyway. There is shocking complicity in murders, there are different moments of murder and gone are the warring factions of the Montagues and Capulets. Characters themselves feel very different at times also, to such an extent that even knowing the play doesn't always make it clear who is who at times. So, if all that sounds...

Review of 2:22 A Ghost Story at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

2:22 A Ghost Story continues an endless rise and run of success on the stage. This play by Danny Robins was first staged as recently as August 2021 at the Noel Coward Theatre and since then the show continued to run in London for two years, moving to four further London theatres, before eventually closing in the city to embark on this tour, which began in September last year. During these runs, the cast has constantly been updated with often populist actors, and some, which are not even associated with acting. As this reaches Royal & Derngate, now even the touring cast has been swept clean and four further performers take on the incredible success of a show. This is the second time I have seen 2:22 A Ghost Story , and it is safe to say that on that first viewing, with the previous tour cast, I was not as blown away by the play as the success seemed to warrant. The aforementioned populist casting seemed to have driven a so-so ghostly tale into success beyond its quality, and with th...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog