Blood Brothers at the ASB Theatre

By SUSAN BUDD

ASB THEATRE, Auckland - Full-blooded, high-energy performances make Blood Brothers a great night out.

Willy Russell's musical was first produced here seven years ago and its mix of high drama, verging on melodrama, and rich sentimentality gives it enduring appeal, despite some dated details of Thatcherite Britain. By the end of the evening there was hardly a dry eye in the house.

"They f - you up, your mum and dad," wrote poet Philip Larkin. And the tale of twin brothers separated at birth demonstrates his words to the full. The power of superstition and the divisive workings of the British class system are, in the final words of the dark-suited narrator, reasons for the twins' tragic early demise.

With too many children, too little money and a husband who has taken off with a younger model of herself, Mrs Johnstone has little option but to accept the offer of her rich but infertile employer, Mrs Lyons, to take one of the twins and raise him as her own.

But fate will not allow them to remain separate. The boys from either side of the tracks meet and bond, are separated when Mrs Lyons, terrified that the deception, of which even her husband is unaware will be revealed, moves into the country, where years later a council estate is built.

Fate ensures that this is the Johnstone family's new home and the boys' friendship is sealed, until ruptured by thwarted love and unequal circumstances.

Delia Hannah, who played the role seven years ago, is better than ever as Mrs Johnstone. Such are her vitality, vibrant beauty and clear, dramatic singing, combined with a magnetic stage presence, that she ensures the success of the show.

As Mickey, the twin from the wrong side of the tracks, Jamie McGregor is equally arresting. He has extraordinary energy, urchin charm and fine dramatic talents.

Ray Woolf, as the looming narrator who acts as the voice of conscience and harbinger of doom, is a superbly threatening master of ceremonies, belting out warnings that cannot be ignored.

The supporting cast give great, high-energy support.