Left - Benjamin Giraud, Daniel Hamill and Andrew Baker. Cover - Benjamin Giraud and Andrew Baker
Directed by Chris Edmund with musical direction from David King, Blood Brothers
is a powerful production to open the WAAPA musical theatre student’s
year. It is a moving, well directed performance that tugs at the
heartstrings.
Written by Willy Russell (of Educating Rita fame), it tells the story of the Johnstone twins. Separated at birth, Mickey Johnstone grows up in a large working class family whilst Eddie Lyons grows up in the middle class.The musical deals with their relationships with each other, with their mothers and with Linda, the girl they both love.
The key character is Mrs Johnstone, mother of Mickey and Eddie, and she is the central pin that all the characters revolve around and return to.Gretel Scarlett portrays her as a feisty yet browbeaten woman fighting to survive in Liverpool during the 1950s - 1980s. Scarlett
is impressive in the role, singing with emotion and power. Her final,
tragic song as she holds both her boys brought tears to my eyes.
Unfortunately, the sound mixing let her down and her powerful songs
were too loud and hard to listen to.
Timothy Monley, dressed simply and elegantly in a black suit, played the role of Narrator with just the right touch of menace. His ominous presence appeared behind the scenes and watched the action.His
powerful voice was ably suited to his recurring rock song and he moved
the story forward to its eventual unfortunate ending.
Benjamin Giraud and Andrew Baker as Mickey and Eddie
respectively excelled in the later part of the show as they portrayed
awkward teens and young adults. The portrayal of the boys as 7 and 8
year olds was not so impressive, as it appeared that they were
conscious of playing a role, rather than being the role.
Other main roles included Mr and Mrs Lyons (David Burrows and Kirsten Hobbs in fine performances), Mickey’s brother Sammy (a scarily out of control Daniel Hamill) and Kate Walder as Linda. Walder portrayed her working class character with flair, and had some moving scenes with both Giraud and Baker.
The
rest of the ensemble was a bit removed from the production, often
appearing dressed in black or behind black gauze with the band. I felt
that they weren’t working together in the ensemble songs, with a lack
of blend between performers.
The highly detailed set by Iona McAuley was marvelous to look at. McAuley
made use of both sides of the stage, leaving a wide open stage for
scenes. To the left was the outside of the Johnstone house. Trash,
peeling paint and exposed brick work created a wonderful visual
contrast to the inside of the Lyons house. Dark green elegant
wallpaper, framed pictures and a dark wood bookcase all screamed money.
The lighting design (by Gareth Simmonds) was a little awkward, and made too much use of the (shaky) follow spot for my liking.A
few more runs and better call timing from the stage manager and
lighting board operator may alleviate some of the issues I saw.
The
biggest fault I found was with the sound. Firstly, the entire cast was
miked, which in the venue felt unnecessary. But it was more the level
and mix of the sound that I found frustrating and distracting. From my
seat in E row I couldn’t hear the performers’ natural voices at all;
instead everything came loudly out of one central speaker located above
the proscenium arch. This created a fragmented and disembodied effect
that removed some of the power of the performance.
One of the problems I have with Blood Brothers
is its repetitiveness. The opening number (NAME) sung by Scarlett is
repeated in short and long forms, often with different words, multiple
times during the performance. By interval, I could sing along with her.
The
nine piece band whilst supporting the cast well could be a little bit
tighter and again, better mixed sound wise. Even with microphones, I
sometimes struggled to hear the singing over the band.
But
despite the few weaknesses and sound issues, this production is
definitely worth seeing because the last ten minutes is so powerful it
will take your breath away. The audience knows what is going to happen,
but the final scene is so jam packed with emotion and heartbreak I
heard gasps from around the room. It is not a happy ending, so bring
your tissues. Overall, a compelling musical from these third year students.
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts presents Blood Brothers By Willy Russell
The Hypocrite | Melbourne Theatre Company
Outstanding among the actors is Garry McDonald, who blasts on to the stage with a tempestuous energy, sweeping the play along in a torrent of words.
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