Written by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers is set in Liverpool around the Johnstone family who live in a run down house and are 'living on the never never'. When Mrs Johnstone finds out that she is expecting twins she feels that she cannot cope with two more children added to her already large family but a solution presents itself in the form of the well-off woman she cleans for who offers to buy one of the babies as she cannot have her own. The condition is that the twins must never meet again. So where Micky grows into a tear-away, Eddie is well educated and well behaved. Inevitably, the boys meet and become best friends but when Eddie's mother finds out she parts them and moves to the country. Micky's family are also rehoused to the same place and they meet again. It must be fate, although they still don't know that they are brothers. Later, they fight over the same girl and their lives take them in socially opposing directions which conclude with a thrilling but sad ending.
Blood Brothers is funny in places, particularly as the characters are played by the same actors throughout their lives. Adults acting as children are particularly funny, and this is very well done.
The running theme in Blood Brothers is superstition, starting at the beginning of the show when so that she can keep him, Eddie's 'mother' tells Mrs Johnstone that if parted twins meet again they will inevitably die. Fate is constantly bringing the twins together and Mrs Johnstone and the narrator tie superstition into most songs and most major decisions. This leads up to the dramatic and emotional conclusion and the song 'Tell me its not true'. Expect tears!
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Very well written review of this excellent play. Cheers, Hans
MichelleScott 13.07.2001 21:06
Good op. I saw this actually performed in Liverpool, starring Kiki Dee. She was surprisingly good and the play was, as you say, wonderfully tear-jerking.
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Jul 13th, 2001
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