WILLY RUSSELL wrote the legendary Blood Brothers 29 years ago, long before some of the actors in this production were born. The strange thing is that It could easily be Cameron’s Britain rather than Thatcher’s Britain, so little appears to have changed.

For those who don’t know the storyline (is there anyone?), Blood Brothers follows a poverty-stricken single mother, Mrs Johnstone – the all-singing and rather wonderful Maureen Nolan, pictured right with Sean Jones, – who gives one of her newborn twins, who she simply cannot afford to keep, to her wealthy employer.

The twins meet on the Everton streets as seven going on eight-year-olds where they play Cowboys and Indians and become friends.

Jones’ Liverpool-accented Mickey is bursting with childlike energy while his twin, Mark Hutchinson’s Eddie, has all the traits of his well-mannered middle-class upbringing.

Laughter and tears punctuate the story as the twins keep on meeting despite the efforts of Eddie’s deluded mother, Mrs Lyons – a real gutsy performance from Tracy Spencer.

Director Bob Tomson keeps the pace at a high level and breathes new life into the production. Andy Walmsley’s set is perfect, echoing the graffiti-covered streets of Everton in the 1980s with the famous dockland lit creatively by lighting designer Mark Howett.

Special mention to Kristofer Harding as the singing Narrator who lurks passively throughout the production, his vocals were faultless and his performance exemplary.

  • Until Saturday. Box office 0844-871-3022 and online atgtickets.com/sunderland Helen Brown