Published: Thursday, 10th September, 2009 11:17am

Kenwright puts Dunfermline on musicals map

by Gary Fitzpatrick

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WEST End impresario Bill Kenwright has said the visit of the musical Blood Brothers could be the first of many to come to Dunfermline.

The show runs at the Alhambra from 28th September to 3rd October, its only Scottish dates and Bill, also chairman of Everton Football Club, told the Press there could be more to follow.

"We've got some great musicals running just now, 'Cabaret', 'Evita', 'Dreamboats and Petticoats' are just some of them. We'd love to bring more big shows to Dunfermline," he explained.

For Liverpudlian Bill, the long-running success of Blood Brothers, set in his home city, has brought particular pleasure.

In its early days, the Willy Russell musical suffered mixed fortunes but when Bill took it on it became a smash hit and has been running in the West End since 1988.

"In Liverpool, there was a divide just as with the football. Just as you were a blue or a red so you were for Willy Russell or Alan Bleasdale," said Bill.

"I had done Alan's works so I didn't actually go to see Blood Brothers when it first came out when Barbara Dickson was appearing.

"When I did eventually go much later I was sitting in a pretty much empty theatre but I was totally mesmerised by what I saw.

"I thought it was a tragedy what had happened with it and knew I could make it a success.

"I said to the friend I was with, 'There's not a God. It should be mine.'"

Bill said Willy Russell was "bruised" by what had happened with his play around that time and rejected his initial requests to take it on.

However, persistence paid off and Willy agreed for Bill to give it his treatment.

"We didn't start off with full houses but audiences quickly grew," he recalled.

"We did something a bit unusual by charging just £1 for the first show, £2 for the second, £3 for third and so on up to £10 at that time.

"It's a musical that captures the passion of the Liverpool people. When I sat watching the play in Liverpool with my family I felt I was the luckiest man in the world.

"If people ask me what my favourite musical is I always say 'West Side Story' but in second place it would be between 'Blood Brothers' and 'Joseph'.

"I came from a low working class background but had an extremely happy life. When we later moved to the posh part of Liverpool we had a garden and I hadn't seen a garden before.

"So the comments made by the character Mickey were almost the same as I said to my mother at that time. He says, 'It's like the country mum'."

Bill was interested to hear about the Alhambra re-opening as a theatre after decades as a cinema and bingo hall.

"I salute anyone opening up a new venue. It's a brave thing to do but there seems to be a few new venues opening across the country. We're certainly looking forward to Dunfermline," he said.