4.5/5
BLOOD Brothers, starring Sean Jones and Niki Colwell Evans opened at the Sands Centre, Carlisle on Tuesday, October 4 to a rapturous standing ovation.
A packed house gathered to watch Willy Russell’s musical, beloved by fans and critics alike for over 30 years.
First and foremost, Niki Colwell Evans was a wonderful Mrs Johnstone. Her performance as the Liverpudlian mother had all the elements that make the character an audience favourite.
She was able to combine heartbreak, humour and humanity the role requires alongside an almost flawless vocal performance.
In certain performances the ‘Marilyn Monroe’ reprises can seem a tad repetitive, but Evans brought a different level of energy to each reprisal which helped the flow of the show and to say she brought the house down with ‘Tell Me It's Not True’ at the end of the show would be an understatement.
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Sean Jones has played the role of Mickey numerous times since his debut in 1998 and his experience certainly shone through.
It takes an actor of some skill to accurately portray both a seven-year-old, a teenager and mid 20-year-old all in the same show and Jones was wonderful throughout.
Mickey journeys from a carefree seven-year-old boy to a depressed unemployed man and Jones’ performance took the audience along with him.
Richard Munday was superb as the narrator, impressing the audience with his vocal range and physicality, Jay Worley played an excellent hand as Eddie Lyons and Carly Burns showed what she is capable of with an astute performance as Linda.
The show itself is a triumph and the simple staging leaves the actors and the story centre stage.
There is a reason why the show has been on the West End and toured the country for decades and its enduring popularity was seen in the theatre with a diverse range of ages all present.
The orchestration sometimes felt a little thin and the occasionally the balance between the orchestra and the vocals was lost but these minor details didn’t detract from the wonderful on-stage performances.
Blood Brothers is on at the Sands Centre, Carlisle until Saturday, October 8. Tickets are still available online or through ringing the box office on 01228 633766.
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