THIS week the Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline is hosting the brilliant “Blood Brothers, Willy Russell’s famous musical which has the distinction of being the third longest running West End musical in history, writes our theatre critic Kerry Black.

Like many others, I have seen this show over and over again, starting with Clodagh Rodgers in the 1990s, including once having front row seats in London to see the late, great Bernie Nolan.

However, no matter how many times you have seen this thought provoking show, it always offers the audience something new and it is the only show which is guaranteed to make me cry my eyes out.

The story involves a poor mother of seven in the 1960s (Mrs Johnstone), who is so desperate that she hands over one of her newborn twin sons to a wealthy couple (Mr and Mrs Lyons).

Over the years, the boys meet up and become friends never realising that they are actually twins. This involves the boys Mickey (Sean Jones) and Eddie (Mark Hutchinson), ageing from seven years-old, through the awkward teen years, to adulthood. The beauty of this show is that so many of the cast have been in the show before, so it is like revisiting old friends.

Sean Jones is brilliant as the snottery nosed Mickey who goes from playing cowboy and Indians with pretend guns, to paying the price for handling the real thing, while Mark Hutchinson is simply “smashing” as the very proper Eddie. He actually won the Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical on Broadway for this role. Danielle Corlass plays Linda, the object of their affections, swapping her teenage giggles to be a heartbroken, downtrodden housewife.

However, the true star of the evening was Sarah Jane Buckley as Mrs Johnstone, who had to step into Lyn Paul’s sandals due to illness.

She gave a gut wrenching performance as the mother who has to watch as her two sons’ lives take off in opposite directions. Meantime Amy-Jane Ollies was very touching as Mrs Lyon as both women pay a high price for their deceit and lies.

Blood Brothers is the ultimate urban poem, showing the depths that dole, depression, politics and prescribed drugs can lead us to and the role that faith and superstition plays in all our lives.

With an amazing backdrop of Liverpool, which lies at the heart of all Russell’s work and featuring Blood Brother’s favourites Daniel Taylor (Sammy), Tim Churchill (Mr Lyons) and Graham Martin (who plays umpteen roles, including two teachers in about 30 seconds), this amazing Bill Kenwright production will make you laugh, cry and bring you to your feet to cheer for more.

Blood Brothers is at the Alhambra until Saturday October 28 at 7.30pm nightly plus matinees, call 01383 740384 to book.