THE GUARDIAN - 12 April 1983
Willy Russell's 'Blood Brothers' which sails into the Lyric from the Liverpool Playhouse, is brilliant melodrama. Indeed it owes less to the modern British musical than to The Corsican Brothers or The Force Of Destiny. But it is melodrama done with such power, such intense belief in itself and, above all, such a wealth of good music, that it carries one along with it in almost unreserved enjoyment.
The achingly romantic songs...tell of grief and loss rather than the usual musical trivialities.
Many of these fall to Barbara Dickson as the mother, a riven figure in a headscarf rendering the lyrics with stunning clarity.
But there is good work from the whole cast, including Andrew Schofield as the hawk-like chorus and George Costigan as the deprived Mickey.
(Michael Billington)
CITY LIMITS - 15 April 1983
Very occasionally, an unforgettable thrill accompanies a person to a stage. The sight and sound of Barbara Dickson unobtrusively at a piano at the back of this same platform in 1974 ('John Paul George Ringo - And Bert'), is one such indelible memory. Since then that young woman has become a successful rock-balladeer...Now she is back on stage, again in a Willy Russell-Liverpool Playhouse production; once again, it is a triumph. But there the similarity ends. The first production was about the Fab Four and their music - hauntingly interpreted by Dickson, but with little need for originality or revelation of self. 'Blood Brothers' is a fiction but it contains everywoman's truth.
Billed as a musical, perhaps because 'opera' has such lousy connotations and 'rock opera' bears an even worse burden, that is exactly what it is : melodramatic, moving as only carefully manipulated narrative and chord sequences can be; and totally beguiling.
The cast is a spectacularly good ensemble in which the band - high above the action - and the stage crew have to be included. But it is Dickson's arena, as Mrs Johnstone, with her tragic bunch of brats and armful of superstitions, move inexorably towards a very modern but timelessly ancient conclusion. This is an extraordinary show from an extraordinary team. Do see it.
(Diana Simmonds)
JEWISH WEEK - April 1983
Already an established name in UK theatre, Willy Russell can only strengthen his position with this new musical, now settled in at The Lyric in Shaftesbury Avenue after a successful provincial tour. It rejoices in having the warm personality, quite adequate acting ability, and beautiful singing voice of Barbara Dickson in the central role...The diction in speaking and singing is far better than usual - perhaps everyone was happily influenced by Dickson's usual crystal-clear pronunciation when singing (and she and the rest of the cast are equally clear when speaking, with fairly heavy accents).
...This show deserves a long and profitable West End run."
(Terri Anderson)
