Say it's just a story

I saw Blood Brothers again last Friday and it was fabulous. There’ve been quite a few cast changes since we first saw it over a year ago, back in Hull, and a few more since we last saw it, in Liverpool, in April. Thankfully the roles that had changed since then were the ones that needed to – we had a new Mr and Mrs Lyons, both acceptable this time. We also saw Lyn Paul for the second time as Mrs Johnstone, and this time she impressed me, particularly in the second act, when she visibly aged in the part.

Most of the central performers have remained the same, Stephen Palfreman as Mickey, Louise Clayton as Linda and Keith Burns as the narrator*. Stephen and Louise broke my heart from the scene in the flat onwards, and I found myself holding in the sobs, which surprised me, as there have been times with this show when it’s got almost to the very end before I cried.

At the end, I stood. They deserved it, and for once I had no qualms about this, even though the ending is still, make no bones about it, incredibly manipulative of the audience’s emotions.

*yes, I know I’d like to see someone else play this part, but it isn’t going to happen any time soon. There will, however, never be another randy milkman like him!