Blood Brothers
by Willy Russell
Oxford Apollo until Saturday 7th July 2001.

Willy Russell's Blood Brothers opened in Oxford last night to a practically full Apollo and an enthusiastic audience. And rightly so, for this was a performance that won't quickly be forgotten by anyone who was there. Set in Liverpool in the 1960's, the musical tells the story of twin brothers separated at birth, their working-class mother too poor to keep them both and so giving one of the boys to her wealthy but childless employer, the latter passing the baby off as her own child. Life goes on, but while everything seems happy on the surface, the narrator brings a darker and more sinister tone to the story, reminding the audience and the characters that this 'unnatural' act can only end in disaster.

While this musical takes an interesting look at the class system in England, I found myself getting more caught up in the human element of the story, although towards the end the class issue is addressed more directly. The cast was led by brilliant performances from Denise Nolan as Mrs Johnstone and Philip Stewart as the Narrator, both performers keeping up the energy and pace of the story with their brilliantly focussed and passionate performances. Paul Crosby and Andrew Langtree, who played the twin brothers Mickey and Eddie, were superb, managing to convincingly play the boys from ages 7 right through to their adulthood. The whole performance, though, was characterised by an incredibly strong and talented cast, with committed performances by every single person on stage. This was one of the things that struck me about the show - the energy and passion was there all the way through, really sweeping the audience up in the story.

Contributing to the strong cast and moving story were excellent musicians, imaginative and very effective lighting, and a beautiful set. The whole production was slick and polished, and yet managed to retain a rawness and roughness, remaining true to its setting. The standing ovation and 4 curtain calls the cast got at the end were truly well-deserved. See this if you can - it is well worth it.

Jane Silva
Monday 2 July