Dramatic moments

Interested in a splendid theatrical experience? Come next Friday, all you've got to do is head down to the Lionel Wendt, take a seat, and allow a superbly talented cast to accompany you on a beautifully tragic journey. A wonderful mixture of motherly love, friendship, romance and ultimate tragedy, Blood Brothers performed by the Workshop Players, is one theatre event you should not miss. And the good news is, you've got ten nights you could choose from to watch the performance, with the production running from September 14-23, at 7.30 p.m.

The production, directed by Jerome de Silva, with the musical direction done by Surein de S. Wijeyeratne, will have multiple casts for some of the characters, with each actor or actress adding their own bits of versatility and improvisations to their roles, giving the audience that much more of a holistic experience. Willy Russell's "play with music," as opposed to a musical per se, is described by international reviewers as "Gripping, gritty and superbly hummable," and also "A masterpiece," which, if you haven't seen, you should go for. And if you have, go again!

Though the production has quite a measure of dialogue and intense acting, the music plays a significant role as well. The poignant, tuneful and mostly catchy songs, give the performance just the right balance between serious theatre and entertainment. "Bright New Day," "Easy Terms," "Long Sunday Afternoon" and the romantic rendition "I'm Not Saying a Word," are some of the tunes sure to be crowd favourites.

The box plan for Blood Brothers is now open at the Wendt, along with the cast roster, so you could ensure not to miss your friends and family taking the stage.

Secured parking is available at Maitland Crescent, and you are advised to drive straight there, park your cars and allow the shuttle service to bring you to the Wendt, on time for the show.

So make sure you are one of the privileged ones, who let Eddie, Mickey, Mrs. Johnstone, Mrs. Lyons and Linda, along with a host of other characters, transport you all the way to Liverpool and bring to life the complexities of the Blood Brothers.

Lights for the production are by Gihan Jayatilleke assisted by Indu Dharmasena and the costumes are by Lou Ching Wong, while the music is by Ranga Dassanayake and Buddhadasa Galappaththi will handle make-up. Electronic media sponsor for the production is Yes FM, while the print media sponsors are The Daily Mirror and The Sunday Times. The production contains some explicit language.