Theatre Review: Blood Brothers, MK Theatre

Summary:

Rating: ★★★★
Running Dates: Wednesday 27th August - Saturday 30th August 2025
Where to see it: MK Theatre
Duration: 2 hours, 40 minutes (incl. interval)
Keywords: Emotional Rollercoaster, Superstition, Family Classic

Review

Blood Brothers is funny, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking in equal measure.

I personally know of the story by Willy Russell as it was a text we studied in school many years ago although I never saw a production of this classic on stage before. The second the lights dimmed and the stage began to be visible, I knew I was about to be in love. The mix of comedy, tragedy, and love kept me captivated on this emotional rollercoaster tale.

The set itself was simple but just incredibly effective. A backdrop of Liverpool’s skyline loomed large with minute splatters of warm light, shifting between childhood playfulness and adult realities with just a change of colour and shadow. Brick houses and iron gates gave the story its gritty, working-class heart, while the subtle shifts in scenery reminded us of the different worlds Mickey and Eddie were growing up in. Even the way the bricks would glisten and fog filled the atmosphere felt like a great depiction of Liverpool in the 1950s, rain and factories seemed perpetually around the corner. It was the perfect frame for the drama to unfold and the backdrops used throughout to show various homes, building and streets not only effectively showed time passing but as the main characters grew up and it reflected their perception of the world broadening in different ways as they become adults. 

Lighting played a huge role in drawing out the emotion. The brightness and warmth of the childhood scenes contrasted beautifully with the stark, moody tones later on, especially in the show’s darker moments. One of the most striking uses of light towards the end of the play, when the stage was drenched in red, intensifying the catastrophe and “seeing red”. It was impossible not to hold your breath. Another powerful use of lighting was during the musical number “Take a Letter Miss Jones” reflecting the socioeconomic challenges in the time period when unemployment was a sign of the times. There were a group of men in a line facing stage left, equal gaps between them with long black coats and harsh heavenly spotlights against their faces. It looked abrupt and intense and had this feeling of people being disposable, products on a conveyor belt, victims of a broken system.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom by any means, although the playfulness lessens as the main characters grew up, I still felt hope, bittersweet joy and delight watching the characters interact. Characters like Sammy, played by Michael Gillette, were so distinct with the energy he brought to the stage, his gait, his posture and non chalant expression made him recognisable as a typical rebellious kid that never stood a chance in a capitalist society. Equally impactful was the narrator, watching us watching the story unfold, simply commenting, reminding the audience of inevitably or self fulfilling prophecy depending on personal interpretation. He also built tension with the continued motif “y’know the Devil’s got your number” and use of different levels of the stage, emphasising role as simply to tell the story. 

Costumes, too, did their fair share of storytelling alongside the hair and makeup on the amazing cast. From Mrs Johnstone’s floral dresses that carried the weight of a life lived with resilience, to Mickey’s baggy schoolboy shorts and Eddie’s neatly pressed outfits, every detail highlighted the essence between the characters. Watching the brothers grow up by their clothes added layers to the humour when they were kids playing cowboys and Indians, and a rawness when adulthood kicked in. The mothers costume cleverly depicted not only growing older but wealthier and in Mrs Lyon’s case, more and more paranoid and “crazy”. Linda's hair alone showed not just the age but personality of her character, pigtails with red bows in their youth, ponytail or flaying freely in their adolescence and finally in a messy clipped bun  as a busy working mother. Even the costume changes on stage were seamless yet interesting to watch Alex Harland as the teacher go from a private school teacher to a public school teach, his characterisation was absolutely brilliant and supported by a quick costume change and ruffling of his hair made the transition rather memorable. I think at first I laughed but then felt bittersweet that actually it was a reminder that the twins having different lives was all a mirror to society that the house you grow up in determines your future. 

The trouble with being so engrossed was the absolute fright of my life when there was an exhilarating special effect. Gunshots rang out with chilling realism, making the audience jump, and the smoke effects in the closing moments created a haunting scene.The contrast because the quiet plastic clicking playing with toy guns in earlier on in the story compared to the consuming explosion of a bullet in a devastating scene, leaving a terrible aftertaste as you realise the foreshadowing throughout the play.

A standout moment came in the second act with Mickey’s breakdown after losing his job. Sean Jones delivered it with such raw vulnerability, the moments his breath simply echoed I felt like it tugged on the heart strings of anyone who has struggled with any of the themes that bubbled up in that moment; addiction, depression, heartbreak. It was one of those rare performances where you feel like the actor is holding up a mirror to real life.

Walking out of the theatre, the last impression was one of awe, what a well deserved standing ovation. Blood Brothers is funny, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking in equal measure. The cast and creative team managed to balance nostalgia with emotional depth, and the moral question will always be argued: who was in the wrong?

You can find tickets for the show on the ATG Website

We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.

Written by Nova Claasen