A STAGGERING 29 years on the road and there was barely an empty seat - or a dry eye, in the house!

I have lost count of how many times I have seen Willy Russell's enduring and heart-wrenching musical melodrama Blood Brothers and yet it never fails to shock and astound me.

Of course we know from the opening scene that it will end badly - with two dead bodies and the gut-churning Tell me It's Not True setting the tone.

It's all a far cry from the feel-good, frothy, escapist musicals we have loved of late.

The bleak snap-shot of 1960's Liverpool explores issues of poverty, depression and self-destruction infusing the audience with its seeping, murky gloom and inevitable tragic outcome.

And yet, from the opening moment when the menacing music begins and the mysterious narrator asks: “Have you ever heard the story of the Johnstone brothers?’’ the show fizzes with humour too as well as unimaginable sadness.

This has to be the best all-round cast I have seen yet.

Russell's central character Mrs Johnstone, who has to struggle with a hand-to-mouth existence, a good-for-nothing husband, the cruelty of class, superstition, and the worst human tragedy, is utterly convincing in the hands of Maureen Nolan of The Nolan Sisters. She pours heart and soul into the role and delivers show-stopping vocals.

Fellow chart-topping star Marti Pellow of Wet, Wet, Wet has also taken the role of narrator to another level, bringing soaring colourful vocals and an enhanced brooding evil to the part. A dark and sinister figure, he embodies fate and stalks the characters like the Grim Reaper reminding them of their terrible secrets.

Returning to the role of Mickey, Sean Hughes alongside Joel Benedict, making his debut as Eddie, take us through the whole spectrum of comedy and tragedy and are simply brilliant as the twin boys, separated at birth, who grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.

This enthralling, tense and cautionary tale of how a twist of fate turns a mother’s haunting secret into a tragic reality, also boasts an unforgettable score.

The pithy and often ironic words of songs such as Marilyn Monroe, Easy Terms, Shoes Upon the Table, and Tell Me It’s Not True all have the same impact as the dialogue, pitched perfectly to reflect the social rules and conditions which made for a harsh, but loving, life.

The show runs until Saturday and there are very few seats left. Grab them whist you can!