Skip to main content

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.



Popular posts from this blog

Review of Bat Out of Hell - The Musical at Milton Keynes Theatre

This tour of Bat Out of Hell - The Musical has become sadly a double-tribute as it tours throughout the UK into 2023 and the love of its creator Jim Steinman, and the man who made his work world-famous, Meat Loaf, both lost in the last year, runs through the cast in this impressive version of the show. The storyline of Bat Out of Hell takes the Peter Pan idea and warps it into a dystopian world of a group of youth known as The Lost trapped forever at 18 years of age. The centre of this group is Strat, who, after a chance encounter, becomes under the spell of Raven. Of course, into this mix must come a megalomaniac, as all dystopian worlds really need. This is the father of Raven, Falco, who, with his wife Sloane, battle The Lost, Raven’s relationship with Strat, and indeed their own very bizarre relationship, to the backdrop of Steinman’s music. Bat Out of Hell doesn’t start particularly well, be it the performance or a show issue, for the first twenty minutes there is a lack of clarit...

Review of Hacktivists by Ben Ockrent performed by R&D Youth Theatre at Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton

The National Theatres Connections series of plays had been one of my highlights of my trips to R&D during 2014. Their short and snappy single act style kept them all interesting and never overstaying their welcome. So I was more than ready for my first encounter with one of this years Connections plays ahead of the main week of performances at R&D later in the year. Hacktivists is written by Ben Ockrent, whose slightly wacky but socially relevant play Breeders I had seen at St James Theatre last year. Hacktivists is less surreal, but does have a fair selection of what some people would call odd. Myself of the other hand would very much be home with them. So we are presented with thirteen nerdy "friends" who meet to hack, very much in what is termed the white hat variety. This being for good, as we join them they appear to have done very little more than hacked and created some LED light device. Crashing in to spoil the party however comes Beth (Emma-Ann Cranston)...

Review of The Rocky Horror Show at Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes

Seeing the 46-year-old Rocky Horror Show at the theatre for the first time is quite an experience on many levels. First and foremost as a regular theatregoer, the audience, even on a relatively demure evening of a Monday, is something you would never really experience at a theatre beyond this show. Many are dressed up (even on that demure Monday), and so many are so in tune with the show, that these regular fans have become entwined within it. They know every word of the script, they contribute to it, they enhance it, often they make Richard O'Brien's already adult content into something much more adult. It's a revelation of experience, much before a newbie such as myself even considers the show. Laura Harrison's beautifully clear rendition of Science Fiction/Double Feature sets the scene for some generally excellent performances of O'Brien's classic tunes, in a musical which is clearly audible, sadly not something that always happens with many productio...