There’s two kinds of people when it comes to Blood Brothers.  The ones who have never seen it and those who have seen it again and again and again.  I’m of the latter.   I’ve seen Blood Brothers twice before.  The first time I saw the show at the Regent Theatre, Stoke around 4 years ago, the lady next to me made an animalistic sounding sob and me?  Well, I wasn’t too far off.  I’ve only made the mistake of wearing non waterproof mascara once to a showing of Blood Brothers and it’s a mistake I’ll never make again.

After opening in 1983, Bloody Brothers won an Olivier Award and headed to the West End in 1998  and stayed there for 24 years with more than 10,000 performances making it the third longest running musical production in West End history.  The show has since toured the UK and the 8 month 2018 tour is currently making another appearance at the Regent Theatre.

Blood Brothers made it’s debut in Russell’s hometown of Liverpool and its in Liverpool that the show is set, telling the storing of the working class family, the Johnstone’s and Mrs Johnstone’s youngest twins, Micky and Eddie born after Mr Johnstone walks out on her and leaves her with 7 children (& two on the way).  With so many mouths to feed and no husband, Mrs Johnstone can only just make ends meet and  through desperation finds herself making a deal that she sees as the only way to give all of her children the best life possible…

…she must give away one of the newborn babies to her childless employer under the proviso that she will give Edward (Eddie) a full and happy life.

Separated at birth the two are brought together as friends when they’re 7 (but nearly 8) by their love of cowboys and indians, running riot through the streets of Liverpool (dee do dow don’t dee?).  The two are kept apart by their parents, Mickey – from the rough side of the tracks, lives at home with his biological mother and enough siblings to start a Von Trapp band, and Eddie (Edward) who lives on the well to do side with his “new” mummy and daddy, shiny shoes and socks to his knees.

Despite Eddies over protective “mummy” insisting that the family relocate to escape the constant reminders of Edward’s biological family, the Johnstones, the lives of the two families continue to intertwine despite the obvious differences in class of the two boys lives.  Mickey’s poverty stricken existence and Eddie’s privileged lifestyle mean that the two face obstacles stemming from social and class divisions.  The simple days of cowboys and indians are gone, and the harsh reality of life begins to plant seeds of division between the two former “best friends”.

Jealousy and betrayal make for the bitterest pill for Mickey to swallow and the division between them and former childhood friend, Linda, leads to the brothers discovering that their childhood pact of “Blood Brothers” ran deeper than they ever imagined.

The relateability of the core characters is what resonates the most with this show and is the reason I think why audiences have received the show so well for 3 decades.  Sean Jones and Mark Michael Hutchinson’ portrayals of Mickey and Eddie through the years is so impressive and one of the top reasons I’ll cite for someone watch it.  Grown men playing 7 year old children straight through to 40 doesn’t sound like it will work on paper, but somehow it just does.

Linzi Hateley as Mrs Johnstone, Mickey’s mother, is both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time and despite me expecting to hold it together somewhat this time (what a fool) come the end of the show I was dabbing at my face, trying to control a quivering lip and thanking the lord I wore waterproof mascara.

Watch it whilst its still touring, you won’t regret it.

Blood Brothers runs at the Regent Theatre until Saturday 27th October.  Tickets are available online or via the box office.