BLOOD BROTHERS - Melville Theatre Company

Melville Theatre Company's production of BLOOD BROTHERS - THE MUSICAL is only one performance away from the end of its season, and I strongly urge those who haven't seen this fantastic show to beg, borrow or steal a ticket before its too late. Lars Jensen, assisted by Rachel Leonhardt, has gathered together a fantastic ensemble of performers and crafted a show filled with high drama and tragedy, but with moments of comedy and genuine feeling, that combine to create a theatrical roller-coaster of emotion. The story, by Willy Russell based on his non-musical play of the same name, tells of a poor single mother, Mrs Johnstone, with seven children and two more on the way. In a moment of desperation, one of her twins is given up at birth to the wealthy but childless Mrs Lyons. The ramifications of this decision have an impact far beyond Mrs Johnstone's initial woe, reaching through the years and causing havoc for the two boys, who although raised apart in different worlds, are brought together by fate and form a friendship while unaware of the awful truth. In the difficult central role of Mrs Johnstone, Julia Hern ably provided the show with a strong core as she perfectly captured the essence of a lively woman wearied by years of hardship. Brimming with subtlety and grounded in realism, her performance was free of overwrought histrionics that would otherwise threaten to mar or cheapen the most dramatic moments in the show. Her voice was very pleasant to listen to, particularly in the softer moments of the show such as "Easy Terms" and reprises of "Marilyn Monroe". Beautiful. As Mickey Johnstone, Nathan Da Cunha presented a well-studied and three-dimensional character remarkable for such a young actor. His energy was consistently high, and the level of fun and mischief he brought to Mickey in the first half made his descent in depression and criminal deeds in the second act all the more torturous to watch. A very big and clearly hard-working talent was on display here, one that will surely continue to develop into something very special. Nathan shared great chemistry with Stephen Roberts, who also delivered a fine performance as Eddie. Stephen's Eddie was utterly human; kind, sensitive and very likeable, but with his own clear wants and desires that eventually alienate him from Mickey and add to the second act troubles. A stellar performance, handled with skill by a marvellous singing actor. His song to Linda in the second act was delivered beautifully. Lindsey Oelsnik brought passion and conviction to the role of Mrs Lyons, a woman tortured by the 'pact with the devil' she has made. Her expressive vocals and multi-layered interpretation combined to create a performance that was in equal parts powerful, haunting, sinister, sad, disturbing and a definite highlight. Also worthy of mention is Tor Hartley, who brought a great deal of personality and dimension to the role of Linda. She grew convincingly from a girl to a woman throughout the course of the show, and her anguish in the latter portion of Act Two made it easy to sympathise with her despite the flawed actions of her character. The rest of the cast all handled their respective roles with dedication and vigour. John Forde as the all-seeing Narrator navigated a series of roles seamlessly while David Cotgreave was suitably straight-laced as neglectful husband Mr Lyons and Stefan Brand was effectively brutish as criminal Sammy. The ensemble were fantastic, each playing a plethora of parts with ease and skill - there was not a weak link among them. Lars Jensen did a marvellous job bringing the show together, and has proven himself not only as a director who goes from strength to strength but a real asset to Perth community theatre, thanks to his know-how and obvious affection for theatre and musical theatre in particular. Choreographer Rachel Leonhardt kept her movement simple and minimal as the show demanded, and any dancing there was rose seamlessly from the action. Paired with Lars, they are a phenomenal production team. On to other aspects of the show...the set was great and very well-utilized throughout and the lighting was fantastic. The sound levels were great, every singer could be heard clearly, though there were one or two times when the music seemed a little soft. This was never a major issue though. Once again, I urge one and all to try and see this show before it closes. This really has been a phenomenal year for musical productions from what I've seen...should make for interesting Finley adjudicating!!! - Tyler Jones tyler-j-jones@hotmail.com