The play takes place in Liverpool, it is based on two twins who are separated at birth, as the mother cannot afford to keep them both. One of the twins is given away to a very wealthy family and the other stays with its real mother, who is ‘working class’. The two brothers meet when they are young, without realising they are twins, and become best friends. They grow up together but gradually class and the difference in the way they were raised comes between them, ending in both of their deaths.
Mickey, played by Richard Munday, was very funny. I really enjoyed watching this character. When he played Mickey as a young boy his movement, posture and the way he spoke was very believable. He played the part very well. Eddie, played by Mark Hutchinson, also played his part very well. He was brought up in a much more wealthier environment than Mickey and his accent and the way he moved brought this across very well. Miss Johnstone, played by Lyn Paul, was very enjoyable to watch. She had an excellent voice when she sung and played a very good Mother figure.
The pace of the play was good, there wasn’t a single part of the play where I wasn’t paying full attention because there weren’t any scenes that dragged on for a long time. The play also kept a good pace because it didn’t rush things causing me to miss some of the storyline. The climax towards the end before the twins died was also very good, it made the atmosphere very intense. I enjoyed the narration because it helped me understand some of the story. It was made more interesting because the narrator, played by Phillip Stuart, rhymed all of his sentences. But on the other hand I found the narrating a little irritating because it interrupted the flow of the play. The contrasts in the play e.g. the way Mickey was brought up compared to Eddie were portrayed very well.
The use of sound and light in the play was excellent, without it the play would have been a lot duller. The use of sound and light helped show emotions and the atmosphere in a scene.
My best part of the performance was when Mickey and Eddie meet for the first time because it was really funny. The contrast between the two twins is shown very well. My least favourite part of the play was when Mickey went to prison, I just felt it wasn’t as interesting as the rest of the play.
Overall I really enjoyed watching Blood Brothers and I would definitely go and see it again and recommend other to see it because it is a very funny, interesting and well acted play.
