Blood Brothers | Sunderland Empire
17th September 2026 | Invited Press Night
Review by Stephen Stokoe
I need no excuse to visit the Sunderland Empire Theatre and certainly I certainly needed no persuading to see the permanently touring production of Blood Brothers. It does make me feel very old indeed to admit that the first time I saw this magnificent show was way back in 1988 when the roles of Mrs Johnstone was played by Kiki Dee and her middle son Mickey by Con O’Neill at The Albery Theatre in London’s west end and I have been hooked on it ever since.
As the audience enters the theatre they see a stark preset which is a foreshadowing of the tragic tale that is about to unfold. As another premonition, as the band strike up with a sombre drone, the story begins at the end where two prone bodies lie slain against the echoey sounds and a couple of lines from arguably the most well-known song of the play ‘Tell Me It’s Not True.’
The narrator (Kristofer Harding) then invites everyone to consider “… the story of the Johnstone Twins, as like each other as two new pins, of one womb born on the self-same day, of how one was kept, and one given away.” With a little timey-wimey theatrical magic we are then transported back to before the boys are born and treated to a potted life history of Mrs Johnstone (Vivienne Carlyle) and how she gave came to have a gaggle of little Johnstones largely down to her resemblance to Marilyn Monroe and her penchant for dancing – a theme which is carried through this tale of socio-economic uncertainty, the haves and the have-nots, superstition, and romance.
The first half is a light-hearted affair with the majority of the actors playing children. It was very nice to see local lads Graeme Kinniburgh and Danny Knott multi-rolling their way through this generally light-hearted section of the show and Merseyside born Michael Gillette really shone as Mickey’s older wayward brother Sammy.
The narrator, a menacing and morally judgemental omnipresence throughout the entire show, reminds us of the tragedy that lies ahead as Mrs Johnstone enters into a bible-sworn deal to give Mrs Lyons (Laura Harrison), a well-to-do but childless woman one of her unborn twins. Harrison is superb in the role of Mrs Lyons, arguably the antagonist of the story, seamlessly morphing from assured housewife to neurotic, unhinged sociopath as her son, Edward (Joe Sleight) seems magical drawn back to his twin. Sleight gives an assured performance with strong vocals and subtle changes in his physicality to denote the years passing as he ages from not 7 but nearly 8 through to adulthood.
His blood (of the title) and actual brother Mickey is played by Sean Jones. I mentioned that I saw Con O’Neill play this part in 1988 but I am pretty sure that Jones has played the part every time I have seen it since as he has played this demanding role for the best part of two decades. It is not hard to see why the producers are happy to keep him in the cast. As the rough and ready young Mickey he is adorable, as the teenaged love struck Mickey he is suitably awkward and unruly and as the adult Mickey he is commanding as his life crashes around his ears through to the devastating conclusion.
Willy Russell’s story stands the test of time and we are undoubtedly in the 80s for the majority of the show. There are lessons to be learnt from his cautionary living ghost story which resonates across the decades quite comfortably into modern times.
The sound from seven strong band led by Matt Malone really fillsSunderland’s iconic theatre with Richard Wimpenny’s saxophone being a particular delight. The sound design (Dan Samson) is exemplary and the lighting (Nick Richings) superb throughout. I particularly enjoyed the representation of emergency vehicle lighting at the start.
Blood Brothers is not a laugh a minute musical. It will, however make you chortle, it will tug at your heart-strings from the opening notes and it is probably best to have a packet of pocket tissues at the ready as Harding’s narrator invites us all to ‘…judge for ourselves this terrible sin,
Bring on the mother, let the story begin.’