Blood Brothers, Chinatown and the Radisson

My little sister, who Boris, Norris and Doris know as their mad aunt, "Potts" gave the wife and I a brilliant present, which she'd won. It was 2 excellent seats for a West End show, and a night in a good hotel in the middle of theatreland!

So on Saturday afternoon, we caught the train up to the centre of London. Lord and Lady Lucan were manning the for at home with Boris and Norris while Doris was entertaining her grandparents, and mad aunt, on the edge of London. We saw Willy Russell's musical "Blood Brothers" about scouse twins separated at birth and brought up each side of the class divide and their subsequent interwoven fates. All manner of superstitions are used to cloud the brutal realities of privilege and exclusion, a divide which ultimately is the undoing of both brothers.

I have seen several West End musicals and I have to say that about half of them were absolutely awful. On two occasions (Miss Saigon and The King and I) I have left the theatre most disgruntled at the poor fare served up, as they were both abysmal. Blood Brothers on the other hand was superb. I can imagine that if poorly acted, sung, or directed it could be really pitiful as my Mum experienced in a regional theatre. But this was utterly compelling! They seemed to get everything right from the music to the evolving costumes across the decades to the acting. The hardest challenge for any actors I have seen in a long time is to play a character from a toddler to an adult, holding together a single character as they move through stages of life and circumstances. It was superb. I am not surprised that they boast that they close to standing ovations every night.

From the theatre we went down to Cambridge Circus where we got a good view of the Lunar Eclipse, before wandering down to Chinatown for some food. Gerrard street is wall-to-wall Chinese restaurants, and choosing which one will be best is pot-luck. However we did well, having a much better Chinese meal than we can find in Perth for a fraction of the price. I have no idea what time we finally got back to our hotel.

Even if we only get away by ourselves for a weekend once or twice a year, it's fantastic! (and something they highly recommend on the marriage course, incidentally!)