A trip to the theatre to see Blood Brothers

I took the kids to see Willy Russell’s, Blood Brothers last week at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon. It’s one I saw back in my teens and loved it, and I wasn’t disappointed all these years on.

It epitomises really good theatre. From the writing to the production itself – the story is funny, cheeky, poignant, sombre. It’s written to depict the impact of the British class system and the economic downturn in the 1980’s. However, don’t let that put you off!

The music is cleverly written and beautifully sung. The narration, adults playing kids, dramatic score and lighting, all add to the experience. The audience chuckle along at some points, while at others you could hear a pin drop, you’re so absorbed

Anyway, enough from me, you can tell I enjoyed it, and I would highly recommend it to people. More importantly though, this was something a little different for the kids to see. While act one is funny and juvenile, the second act really explores more adult themes - depression, drug dependency, and death. So, what did they think?

My 14-year-old was initially super excited to be positioned just to the side of the sound deck, a new hobby of hers and an unexpected bonus! My 12-year-old laughed along to the youthful exuberance acted out in the first half, they both jumped at crazy loud gun fire, and sat absorbed as the story unfolded.

On asking for a rating, they both gave it a 7 out of 10, appreciating the singing and the story. However, some of the adolescent humour wasn’t appreciated - the jokes about sneaking into ‘naughty films’ at the cinema, and a few crude references (perfectly accepted by a child of the 80’s, but not really one from the 2010’s!).

Actually, I must admit, it was one of those moments I felt the real difference between the generations we grew up in. I recognised the humour, the playing out with your friends until dark, the imaginative play on display. Compared to my kids growing up, in one way a bigger world, however more condensed on screens and with less freedom.

The age ranges coming out of the theatre was diverse, (personally I think it’s appropriate for secondary school children, rather than primary kids), and the enthusiastic chatter as everyone filed out was all dedicated to what we had just watched, always a good sign of a memorable evening. To conclude, it did lead to some great post theatre car conversations, discussing the era it was based in, and the topics raised.

I’m pretty sure it’s on tour around the UK, one not to be missed if you’re looking for slightly gritty, fab theatre!