UK Theatre Network

For thirty years Maureen Nolan was always in the mood for dancing. As a member of The Nolans, she travelled the world and enjoyed phenomenal success with her sisters. Now she has traded her place at the top of the charts for a life on “the never-never” to reprise her iconic role in Blood Brothers. She tells STEVE BURBRIDGE about the play, her hugely successful solo career and why sisterhood means more than anything else.

Three decades ago she and her sisters rocked the nation. That wholesome brand of pop, personified by The Nolans, preceded The Saturdays, Girls Aloud and The Spice Girls and earned the Irish sisters a place in British chart history as one of the most successful girl groups ever.

 

Now Maureen Nolan, the sibling who stayed in the group longer than any other, has carved out a successful solo career for herself and is, once again, starring in the smash-hit musical, Blood Brothers, which plays in Sunderland until the end of the week.

‘I think for a woman of my age Mrs Johnstone is the absolute best role, really’ says Maureen. It’s got everything – comedy, tragedy and beautiful haunting melodies. I absolutely love playing her.’

It was in 2005 that she became the fourth Nolan sister to don the care-worn smile and cross-over pinny and take on the iconic role in Willy Russell’s legendary musical. In doing so she earned them a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most siblings to have played the same role in the same show at different times.

‘Before I was in it I had seen it 18 times!’ she says. ‘When I joined, I actually apologised to the cast for being such a stalker.’

Maureen admits that, initially, she was daunted by the prospect of taking on such a demanding and emotionally-charged role but was also determined to make the most of the opportunity.

‘I had big shoes to fill, not only from my sisters – Bernie, Linda and Denise - but also from all those other wonderful actresses who’ve played her, too, and I remember thinking: “If I get this role I will never short-change anyone by just walking through it because I’ve been in it for a long time.” And I hope I never have.’

 

Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, having been separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences. Such is the dramatic power and cultural impact of the show that the role of Mrs Johnstone is one of the most coveted in musical theatre. However, it demands a portrayal that forces the actress playing her to ride an emotional rollercoaster and the rigours of performing in at least eight shows a week can, sometimes, take their toll.

‘I did the show for two years in the West End and cried at the end every night. Sometimes I look back and think: “How did I do that?” because it just drains you,’ admits Maureen.

 

At the beginning of the play, Mrs Johnstone is the twenty-something Liverpudlian single mother ‘with seven hungry mouths to feed and one more nearly due’ but, by the final curtain, she’s a down-trodden, distraught grandmother who is struggling to comprehend the most tragic of situations. So, how does she convincingly descend to the depths of Mrs Johnstone’s despair?

‘There’s no other way, for me anyway, than to think of horrible things,’ she reveals. ‘I have one son and I just think about how I’d feel if I were in the same position. That part of it’s not great, really.’

Maureen admits that, initially, she struggled to leave her character behind in the theatre after each performance.

‘I used to be an emotional wreck for up to an hour or two afterwards because the writing is so amazing,’ she says. ‘But then you have to learn how to snap out of it quickly.’

 

Blood Brothers is not the first production in which Maureen has starred as a strong female character. She began her acting career in 2004 by taking the role of Jill in Mum’s The Word, a series of monologues about motherhood. She also played Sadie in Girls Behind, in 2007, then reprised the role of Jill, alongside her sister, Bernie, in another tour of Mum’s The Word the following year. She has also toured extensively as Viv in Footloose and as Barbara in Over The Rainbow: The Eva Cassidy Story.

  

However, one of the most challenging parts she accepted was that of Sarah, a woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer, in The Naked Truth. Surely, given the fact that three of Maureen’s sisters, Anne, Linda and Bernie, have battled breast cancer during the last decade, this must have been a difficult role for her to accept?

‘We talked about it first and agreed that it was quite spooky that, at that particular time in my life, I was offered the opportunity to play such a character,’ she admits. ‘But then we all laughed and nobody said they’d rather I didn’t do it or anything like that.’

The sisters sparked a showbiz sensation in 2009 when a family feud erupted as a result of their reunion tour.

‘Universal, the record company, only wanted to use the four of us who had had the big hits together,’ Maureen explains. ‘That meant that Anne and Denise wouldn’t be part of the line-up, which was disappointing. I thought they’d understand but I couldn’t have been more wrong.’

The rift between the sisters almost drove Maureen to the verge of a breakdown but, fortunately, she is once again on speaking terms with them all.

‘I’m very close to all my sisters and nothing is ever worth falling out over,’ she says, adamantly. ‘With what we’ve all been through, you come to realise that life is short and that family is the most important thing.’

And that, you can be sure is a sentiment which is shared by her current stage character, the indomitable Mrs Johnstone!

Blood Brothers is at Sunderland Empire Theatre until Saturday February 11. Tickets cost from £15.50. To book, call 0844 871 3022 (Booking fees apply) or log on to www.sunderlandempire.org.uk

Sometimes when you watch a musical the story gets lost as all you remember are some great songs, but with Blood Brothers the story is so strong you almost forget you’re watching a musical at times.  I imagine this is because Willy Russell wrote it as a play initially and toured schools around Liverpool, before composing the music himself to make this into one of the most popular and timeless musicals of our time.  Willy Russell is one of the country’s leading dramatists and his characters are always three dimensional, fully formed and very real people, as we know from Shirley Valentine and Educating Rita. He has the ability to write great comedy and intersperse that with drama making all his writing poignant, captivating and memorable.  In Blood Brothers he tells the story of twins separated at birth, who meet by chance and become best friends without knowing who the other is with tragic consequences.

The story is as much about the poverty and class struggles of the 1960s, as about the inexplicable bond between twins and how their lives intertwine. Mrs Johnstone is the warm-hearted mother who struggles to bring up seven children after her husband leaves.  Finding herself pregnant again with twins, her wealthy employer Mrs Lyons seizes her chance to become a mother herself and manipulates Mrs Johnstone into giving her one of the twins.   We know automatically that this is not going to be a ‘happily ever after’ solution, as Mrs Lyons' increasingly neurotic behaviour propels the story towards a dramatic and tragic ending.

Niki Evans gives an outstanding performance as the kindhearted and lovable Mrs Johnston.  We see the wonderful Scouse humour and empathise with her struggles, heartbreak and pain.  Niki has an amazing voice and after reaching the X Factor final in 2007, has gone on to carve an enviable career in musical theatre.

The story is narrated by Craig Price, who is no stranger to The Waterside and sang in ‘From West End to Waterside’ in one of the pre-launch shows last year.  Craig recently performed at the O2 anniversary concert for Les Miserables, having also performed in the West End in many productions and has toured in Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Martin Guerre.  He makes a rather sinister Narrator and I did find his Liverpool accent rather flat and monotone and felt he needed a bit more energy to nail it properly.

The central role of Mickey is played by Sean Jones, who gives a delightful performance as the young 7 year old playing cowboys with his friends.  We also saw him as a depressed and defeated man, whose life is shattered by redundancy and helping his criminal brother Sammy (Daniel Taylor) commit a crime.  Mickey’s separated twin Eddie (Chris Carswell) is the privileged, upper-class one who desperately wants to be Mickey’s best mate and have all the fun that he has.  Once they’re grown up and start spending more time with Linda (Anna Sambrooks) who is Mickey’s childhood friend who wants to be his girlfriend, trouble ensues as Eddie falls in love with her too.

Tracy Spencer is the cold-hearted, scheming, manipulative Mrs Lyons, which has to be one of the most difficult to play, as there are really no redeeming qualities in her character. 

This epic tale of Liverpool life has been running in London’s West End since 1988 and touring the UK since 1995. Hailed as one of the best musicals of all time Blood Brothers has triumphed across the Globe, scooping up no less than four awards for best musical in London and Seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway, Blood Brothers is simply unmissable and unbeatable.  The show is produced by Bill Kenwright who co-directs with Bob Tomson.  Lighting is designed by Mark Howett, Sound by Ben Harrison and Musical Supervisor is Rod Edwards.

This incredible show has some memorable songs including A Bright new Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True. 

Blood Brothers  received a well-deserved standing ovation and if you’ve never seen it, or want to see it again because once will not be enough, make sure you don’t miss it at The Waterside.  Book your tickets at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Box Office, call 0844 871 7607 (bkg fee) or visit www.atgticket.com/aylesbury (bkg fee).

LISTINGS

Performances:   31 Oct – 5 Nov 7.30pm, Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm
Tickets:   £11 - £31
Box Office:   0844 871 7607 (bkg fee)
Groups Hotline:  0844 871 7614
Access Booking: 0844 871 7677 (bkg fee)
Online Booking: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury  (bkg fee)

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
31.10.11

Have you heard the story of the Johnstone twins? If not, you have missed what has become a classic of British musical theatre and now is your chance to hear the tale! Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers is on tour - follow a trail of tears and snotty handkerchiefs all the way to the King’s Theatre, Glasgow until 13 February 2010.

Glasgow-born songstress, Vivienne Carlyle, stars as Mrs. Johnstone, a 1960s Liverpudlian mother of seven who is just about making ends meet, until her husband leaves and the twins arrive. Reluctantly she makes a deal with Mrs. Lyons (Tracy Spencer), her well-to-do employer, to give one of her twins away. And so, irresistible and tragic wheels are set in motion as the twins are destined to be born and then to die on the self same day.

The story is largely light hearted and entertaining despite the tear-streaked faces that have famously been leaving performances of this musical all over the world. It follows the growth of the boys from childhood to adulthood and the script is bursting with the gritty Liverpool humour that made the writer famous. The humour is also observational and sucks the audience into a real bond with the characters as we sympathise with their poverty and remember schoolboy fun that helped to lighten the mood in difficult times. The tragedy, when it falls, feels very personal. The musical score, in isolation, seems almost unremarkable but together with the on-stage drama it adds great depth to the contrasts of mood that are the bedrock of this musical’s success. The audience can even take a few tunes home with them “My Child”, “Easy Terms” and “Tell Me It’s Not True” being eminently hummable.

The production has changed very little over the years, but the talented cast add their personal nuances to the timeless story.  Vivienne Carlyle took the role of Mrs. Johnstone (previously played by such well known actresses as Stephanie Lawrence, Kiki Dee, Lyn Paul and four of the Nolan sisters) in her stride, never over dramatising, never over cooking the accent.  She took a nightmare narrative and made it real.  The combination of Sean Jones and Paul Davies as the twins, Mickey and Eddie, was the perfect mix.  I’ve had the pleasure of being entertained by Sean Jones in a previous tour and he is definitely my favourite Mickey.  His transformation from carefree seven-year-old to drug-dependant adult is heartbreaking in itself.  Chemistry with his on-stage sibling as well as his childhood sweetheart (Linda, played by Kelly-Anne Gower) was wonderful.  Finally, Robbie Scotcher’s menacing portrayal of the Narrator was the ideal balance of singing talent and threatening demeanour.

No other musical can take you through the entire spectrum of human emotion like this.  Book your ticket today.

Listings Info:

Blood Brothers
King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Tue 2 – Sat 13 Feb
Mon – Sat eves 7.30pm
Wed & Sat mats 2.30pm
Thu 4 Feb mat 2.30pm

Audio described performance 11 Feb 7.30pm
Signed performance 12 Mar 7.30pm

Tickets: £11.50 - £30
Box Office 0844 8717 648 (Bkg fee)
www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)