Let me tell you a story. I have been to see a production of Blood Brothers before. It was not the musical adaptation of it in London, but a student version of it in Exeter. It was, quite simply, the worst thing I have ever seen on stage. It was hammy, gaudy and crass. And this was just the acting. Therefore, my expectations weren't set too high for this new student production, presented by a troop of budding thespians studying at Oxford Brookes.

The story is, fundamentally, a simple one. It follows two young men who, despite having very different upbringings, are the best of friends. The irony is that they are, unbeknown to each other, related. They were twins, separated at birth. Their biological mother was a poor, downtrodden servant at a richer woman's house, and because of her worsening financial difficulties, gave the mistress of the manor, who had long-standing problems with conceiving a child, one of these twins. However, soon after this, the servant is sacked. She remains in the vicinity however, and whatever either of the women does, the children keep finding themselves drawn towards one another, unaware of the truth.

The play is essentially quite a broad tragicomedy, and its main strength is its simple, straightforward storytelling, which is underpinned by quite heavy issues and weighty emotions. A bad director would have his or her actors emote at the drop of a hat, forgetting the profound implications of some of the storylines. Thanks to a handful of good, solid performances and its simple staging (the scenery was composed of a handful of boxes and some back projection), this version stayed true to the simplicity and spirit of the original.

Although perhaps a little bit too broad and old-fashioned for some tastes (the play's treatment of class issues is dated), this was a solid production. This perennial favourite drew in an almost full house who, it seemed, all left the auditorium supremely satisfied.