Blood Bros with no singing?

As a big fan of the show Blood Brothers, I'm shocked that the production team are doing the show with Australian accents.. You've got to be joking!!,..umm have they read the script? or heard the music?? That's one way to totally wreck a brilliantly written show isn't it. It's been playing in the West end for over 25 years for a reason. Don't even get me started with the Narrator having tatts!! or lead cast not needing to sing - They do know they are doing something called a musical don't they?

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'The music will be acoustic - nothing pre-recorded.'
''Bring a song/INSTRUMENT/OR be prepared to sing.'
'MRS LYONS • Eddies' mother - will start the PLAY in her early 20s and end up in her 50s.'
ALL THESE CHARACTERS ARE SMALL SPEAKING PARTS BUT I WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE ABLE TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT - EVEN IF IT IS JUST THE TRIANGLE!!! THESE WILL BE THE ORCHESTRA OF THE PLAY - on stage all the time.

Ok from reading this 'brief' I can assume a few things:
1. This is a company that's never done a musical before, and if they have, nobody learnt anything from it.
2. They've seen the revival of Sweeney Todd and thought that actors playing the music on stage is both a 'cool' idea, an 'easy' idea and a more economical idea. The budget will love them.
3. The fact that nobody really needs to sing and it's going to be set in Australia indicates that no research has been done and the director has most likely never directed a show before. Neither has the 'musical director' who I'm pretty sure likes the idea of standing at the front screaming 'sing louder'.

I want to say 'it's just amateur theatre'. But that phrase grates on me me more than anything. I don't care if it's 'amateur' or professional, if you're going to charge people for a ticket, they have a right to see the best show you can possibly put on. One that you've put enough effort into creating to justify charging them to sit down and watch it.

Blood Brothers is an immensely powerful piece of theatre, not a pantomime. If you want to fill a show with people who can't really act or sing and are just there for a bit of fun, do Robin Hood.

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I understand Brigid and Matty's common sence concerns, but not sure about "Stacca"..

Some pretty big assumptions and well.... didn't you tell us all on another thread,
"...This website is based and focused on 'supporting' community theatre."
Is that's how you show support for a community based company that's been around for 30 years?
I guess Bell shouldn't try doing all that weird stuff with Shakespeare either. It is after all about immense power...
One.

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How about we save the reviews until AFTER the show has been staged?

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While my first reaction to reading this audition notice was very similar to all of yours, I think it's really important to give the production team and cast, once they have been announced, a chance. Obviously they are taking the musical in a very different direction to the one we all know and are fans of but saying that they clearly have never done musicals before, have done no research and insulting the abilities of the musical director without knowing anything about them is just plain rude!
As for setting the show in Australia, I think the most important themes in this show are universal: love, brotherhood, nurture vs nature, class divides. Some adaptations may be in need but that doesn't mean that the relocation if the setting will destroy the show. It may in fact make it easier for the audience to associate with and therefore magnify the emotional impact of the story.
So while I believe healthy discussion of artistic choices is fantastic, outright attacks on individuals is completely unnecessary! Surely you should be able to express your opinions without making personal hacks at people.

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• 11 votes

Hey Hughesy,
I never said the comment shouldn't have been posted and frankly short of calling someone a di#@, all opinions should be posted. I think you guys moderate pretty well.

I've never seen a Gemco Show, but I might go now. What about you Stacca? Maybe we can both go and compare notes then give qualified criticism based on what we see.

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Given some of the artistic decisions some of the people in this discussion and on this site in general in the past have also been ones that on paper look every bit as half baked and foolish I think it's a bit of a stretch to denounce this one already. If it works, great. If not, then it can join the countless other amateur theatre shows and concepts that have been just as successful.

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To Louise,
I wasn't making a personal attack. All I was saying is that Blood Brothers is a universal, loved and popular musical which has been admired and is still enjoyed to this very day. I'm not knocking the production team nor the theatre company itself just their vision of the show which they have advertised is not the way someone should see the show staged. How would you feel seeing (for example) Les Mis performed with Australian accents and set in Melbourne? Do you think it will have the same feel and compassion? ..I think not!. The show is set in Liverpool in the UK, which the writer Willy Russell held dear to his heart. I wish the company every success for this production and it's great when companies break the norm and create their own vision for a product in the staging, casting or costume - but to come out and say their expected cast is not required to be singers or sing in the show and set the show with Australian accents, you should be aware of any negative or questionable comments because they will arise. I hope people go and support this show and see what the final product looks like.

Matty

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• 6 votes

I almost didn't write in as I figured my stance on this would be considered fairly biased given that this is one of my all-time favourite theatre pieces and that I played Eddie when CLOC staged this show in 2007. However, while I personally don't think I couldn't sit through this piece reinterpreted and localised to this degree, my main question would be whether or not it would be a breach against the rights to this show if all the references were changed to Australian?

Sure, Mrs Johnston could live in St Kilda while Mrs Lyons lives in Brighton.
The lowerclass could speak quite bogan-like, while the upperclass retain a rounded Aussie accent.
The twins could go to see "Nymphomaniac Nights..." at the Astor Theatre on Chapel St.
Sammy could probably even rob a 7-11.

...but would Samuel French be okay with all of this? The social classes are very much written into the dialogue and the characters are so well defined by the book and their traditional setting, which is what makes the story all the more powerful. There's changing lines in the script to make it relevant to how you are able to present a show given the availability of actors and artistic resources, and then there's re-writing a story. I would think that the Blood Brothers story is so deeply embedded in its Liverpudlian setting that reinterpreting it in this way would require significant re-writing to make it work as an authentically Australian story...

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I'm almost certain if the rights holders found out about this - the rights would be pulled. There are just certain things you cannot change in a production - one of them being making characters who sing in a musical - non-singing. The other (often times) chaning the location of a location specific show...

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There will be a contract between the 2 parties; this contract may not necessarily be the usual/standard performing rights contract. The clauses forming part of the contract will only be known to the 2 contracted parties.......any speculations in reference to the contract clauses are just that.....speculations. Enough said!

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Any chance of the director or the company chipping in an opinion on this?

Blood Bros is obviously very dear to many to be portrayed in its 'traditional', if you can use that word here, plan.

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.......Gemco is doing the play version. Many of you may not be aware but Blood Brothers started out as a Theatre-in-Education play. There is no singing bar Mrs Johnston doing Marilyn Munroe, unaccompanied. Williamstown Little Theatre did a highly successful version of the play a few years back. There is every chance this may the version Gemco are attempting. However as for setting it in Australia........

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wow - just got onto these comments and this is just why I LOVE the theatre - what a mix of passion/aggression and reaction! isn't this why we love it so much!!

So, right of reply and all of that - here's my input (as the Director).

I wont comment on each and every one - but just a couple that stood out.

GEMCO is a small yet experienced and powerful COMMUNITY theatre that does not feel it has to try and compete with the West End, that would be like trying to turn a tractor into a Mercedes! - isn't this what some people are suggesting we do?? we are not set out to bring the West End musical to the hills - but rather reach out to a community and provide thought provoking Theatre to those around us. We don't have a budget of thousands or a pool of professionally trained musical actors and as a community theatre company we would be neglecting our 'people' if we reduced audition requirements to this.

With regards to setting this in Australia - Willy Russell wrote his first play after seeing a play he could RELATE to "the first play I saw that made me want to write [...] was John McGrath's UNRULY ELEMENTS at the Everyman. It was the first time that I had seen anything which related to my life" (quote taken from original West End Blood Brothers Programme - and yes I do have a copy and Yes I was there just to respond to the I clearly don't know the play comment!!!) - I want my audience to relate to the themes of love, guilt, suspicion, nature vs nurture, wealth vs poverty etc - One slip up of a dodgy liverpudlian accent breaks that connection in an instant. And having gone to Liverpool University, my ear for the accent will not accept any flaws.

I'm not sure where the NO SINGING comes from - the audition brief is set out to involve all of those around us - there might be that person who THINKS they can't sing - see's a requirement of MUST SING and then does not audition - what a GREAT loss that would be - they could be the most amazing actor in town but thinks they can't sing. With our ensemble we will work with our actors strengths to create the most amazing production of Blood Brothers that we can - the music will be organic, acoustic, the ensemble ALL playing instruments - so what if it is just a TRIANGLE! go look at NATHAN FLUTEBOX LEE and BEARDYMAN @ google and see what outstanding music and sound can be created with one instrument and two voices. You are deluded to think that we cannot create or have the same powerful emotional impact on our audience based on the fact that we are not 'WESTENDING" the show!!

With reference to the Narrator - last time I spoke to Warwick Evans who played the Narrator in the West End in 1988 - he thought it was a pretty cool idea - sorry folks - had to drop that one in!! right of reply and all that!!

So in a nut shell - thanks to those who support the new direction - thanks to those who made some brilliant and dramatic assumptions - we all know what assume is made of right??

keep the passionate comments coming - and maybe come and see the show - I'll have a beer with each and everyone of you at the end :-)

cheers
TRB :-)

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• 24 votes

TRB - You have the spirit of Hugh in you.  Go forth and conquer :-)

http://theatrepeople.com.au/features/dealing-criticism-advice-hugh-jackm...

Hughesy

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• 18 votes

I was lucky enough to see the original West End show and later a West End restaging - substantially different productions as I recall. The universal message is the powerful and still highly relevant key, and setting it locally might make it all the powerful - even in London, I felt the Liverpudlian setting made it a little 'distant'. So I'm looking forward to seeing what Gem do with it! If people are crying as it reaches its climax, as I did, it will have worked again!

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TRB
Reading your reply made my day! Class.
All the very best for your production....

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Must say I've been enjoying reading these comments. As someone said earlier- this is why I love theatre... Passion! I would have written earlier but I was too busy actually rehearsing, reading a new script to perform at the fringe festival and producing a Shakespearean play. Although I am involved with Gemco too, so I guess I'm inexperienced? Just for the record- Gemco has been running successfully for over 30 years and has performed numerous musicals in that time from Australian premieres to locally written and even some 'common' ones like Cabaret and Footloose.
I have no doubt that Tanya's version of Blood Brothers will be thought-provoking, emotive and full of highly talented performers just as all the other shows she has directed will be... that's right, she has actually directed before. ... and won awards, but that's not what matters is it?
*By the way... I didn't interpret the audition notice to say there would be no singing.... just that auditionees should give it a go even if they don't think they're great.
Please don't count out companies that don't fit the mould. Gemco prides itself on performing new works, experimental theatre, improvisation, professional theatre and nurturing it's youth programs to explore this artform we all love so dearly. They actually host a one-act-play festival as well as a 10 minute play festival and are performing Cosi all over the next 6 weeks. So you can perhaps see why no-one from the company has responded-..... they're all a little busy actually running a theatre company.
I for one will be buying a ticket to see Blood Brothers and hope you all do to. Because by doing that, I will be supporting local theatre and will see something I will never see again.... that appeals to me..... maybe not to everyone, but I think it's good to think outside the box.
Chookas for auditions!

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I find it interesting to see what should be a page where we have the opportunity to support each other, has actually become a page where narrow minded people have a blatant sarcasm filled attack on a production that has not only NOT been seen yet....but also has NOT been cast!! I don't call that passion, I call that "ignorance." I am one of the actors who will hopefully be a part of this production. I have also had the honour of acting in several plays that Tanya Ryder Barnes has directed, including one called Tissue, that we toured around the one act play festivals and won numerous awards for......Best director being an award that was won more than once!! I look forward to the possibility of working along side such a highly trained, highly qualified, majorly awesome director as Tanya.......You should be so lucky!!!

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Auditioning with Tanya is a learning process in itself and heaps of fun. I think everyone would have gone away from the audition today feeling great. As musical director [with many previous shows under my belt] I was really happy with the standard of contenders so far and am really looking forward to us all working together during the coming months, when the show has been cast.

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• 21 votes

Just to stir up the reactions once again - I read an interesting direction in the current script I am using for Blood Brothers...it states..... "Blood Brothers is not a musical - rather a play with Music........" I don't know ...I mean ...really.... could it be so???? ;-)

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I have just returned from a trip of a lifetime.... 4 months in UK.
4 weeks ago i managed to get a ticket for the current London production.
yes, it was the liverpuddlian that i remembered when i taught in Kirkby some 45 years ago.... Kirkby is the new town Willie Rusell used as the destination of the two families as they move away from Liverpool.

Indeed the contrast of class is relevant throughout the world and maybe the powerful theme and relevance of the script is why it has been translated into 10 languages!! (mind you i can't stand people imitating American accents!)

Having arrived back but 4 days, i popped into last sunday's rehearsal and was blown away with the talents of the cast and to hear Mrs Johnstone sing her final song had us in tears... and there's still 5 weeks to opening night on oct 20th!!
hey, and she has never performed on stage before.... that's what community theatre is all about..... giving people a chance to excel beyond their wildest dreams..... i'll be helping behind the bar and am already excited about the prospect of this show being as good as any we have done over the past 32 years.... come along and check it out..... !!!

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• 9 votes

I'm going :) Can't wait to see the responses, when it actually comes out!

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• 15 votes

The family and I are all going and looking forward to seeing it.

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• 8 votes