Advantages: Good storyline, music score, tears and laughs Disadvantages: none
...things just a game!
Blood Brothers is a tale of two liverpudlian twins seperated at birth yet their lives become intertwined, ending in inevitable tradgedy. It was Willy Russell's very first musical having previously only written plays. It opened at the Phoenix Theatre in London in 1991 and has been playing there ever since.
I have always been a fan of musicals and from a young age accompanied my mum on group trips organised by a friend. As a resutl ... ...have the same birthday become blood brothers. From this point onwards their lives become intertwined with both seeing their ideal in the other. Eddie sees Mickey's freedom and Mickey, Eddie's wealth and opportunities.
In the second half of the play the tone is far more sombre with Willy Russell introducing his political view on the depression and class systems in the 1980s. We see Mickey pulled into a life of dole queues and petty crime while Eddie ...
maz2909 26.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: Tears and laughter. Disadvantages: None.
...and great performances better than Blood Brothers then somebody please tell me, I would sell my soul to see a better constructed and dramatic musical than this one.
If you haven't guessed I loved this show. This was the show that re-ignited my love of theatre, this was the show that reminded me how good theatre can be but most importantly this was the show which proved you can entertain and comment on social injustices in equal proportion.
The ... ...twins, Mickey and Eddie. Due to her economic circumstances she can only afford to keep one baby, Mickey, while she sells the other to her employer. Thus Mickey is denied the priveledges which Edward grows up with. This of course does not stop the two of them becoming friends and "Blood Brothers" despite not ever finding out that they are truly related. Edward grows up to become a councellor while Mickey joins the dole queue and eventually turns to ...
dchurch 11.12.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: a fantastic plot, humour, tears, emotions Disadvantages: None
...Charing Cross Road, WC2. Blood Brothers first ever performance was actually at the Albery Theatre on 28 July 1988. The Phoenix Theatre itself opened in 1930 and its first performance was Noel Cowards Private Lives, which ran for 101 nights.
As well as performing at the Phoenix, there have been other showings of Blood Brothers up and down the country, and I also went to see the show with my other sister in Manchester. And if it ever comes back to ... ...make a pact to become Blood Brothers. There is a great scene with Mickey’s brother Sammy and their friend Linda, together with Mickey (who remained with Mrs J), and Eddie (who Mrs Lyons took). Both mothers, having learned of this new friendship, tell the boys they should not play together but this does not stop them from meeting up during their growing up.
Act One ends with the fantastic upbeat song Bright New Day, with Mrs Johnstone and the whole ...
helencbradshaw 28.06.2002 (29.06.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: Moving, great music, funny Disadvantages: None (apart from cost perhaps)
Blood Brothers is one of my favourite musicals. I first saw it three years ago and I've seen it twice since then and listen to the CD constantly. If you only like happy endings, then this probably isn't for you, but it will make you think, laugh and cry. Wonderful!
LOCATION AND COST:
Blood Brothers' home is the Phoenix Theatre in London (although there is currently also a touring production - I saw it in Cardiff last night). The theatre is on Charing ... ...I love the music for Blood Brothers. Many of the songs use the same music with different lyrics, eg 'My Friend' and 'That Guy'. My favourite songs are 'Shoes Upon the Table' which is sung by the narrator and 'Tell Me its not True' sung by Mrs Johnstone. Some of the songs are very upbeat, especially 'Kids Game' and some are very haunting and sad, like 'Tell Me its not True'. THE EXPERIENCE:
The musical lasts for around 3 hours including the interval. ...
tartlette83 05.04.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: An exhilirating experience, a great story, top class acting. Disadvantages: At times the music drowned out the words.
Blood Brothers opens with those words, spoken in the Liverpool twang of the mysterious narrator of the play, played by Keith Burns. It kept me enthralled throughout, which has to be something of an achievement as I am a very fidgety person who can't concentrate well! My sister said she would take me to a musical in the west end for my christmas present and I had to choose which one I wanted to see. Going from recomendations and personal choice, I ... ...Willy Russell, the writer of Blood Brothers, also wrote Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine and Stags and Hens. I acted out a scene from Educating Rita for my Drama GCSE and I loved the humour and down to earth feel of Russell's writing. Blood Brothers was Willy Russells only musical, and many people scoffed at the thought of the concept working.However, Russell had the last laugh as Blood Brothers has now been running for years and has won numerous ...
MissDirect 24.12.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: Strong cast, effective use of tension, well organised Disadvantages: Length, some ideas not fully explored, repetitive at times.
Blood Brothers, the Society of West End Theatres has awarded a play written by Willy Russell and directed by Bob Thomson ‘The greatest musical of the decade.’
After seeing Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre, I must agree that it is one of the most streamlined performances I have seen in the past. The play Blood Brothers is set in Liverpool, which interestingly was also the birthplace of the writer Willy Russell who was born just outside Liverpool. ... ...The reminder of the play Blood Brothers shows the differences in lifestyle the two boys live, almost like the difference of Black and White. As the play goes on this opposite relationship is changed and the similarities of the two are made clearer. Blood Brothers also attempt to show the large gap in society between the first class and the working class people, showing a great deal of status differences. We could see this by the language used by ...
deanparkr 07.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: A powerful piece of live theatre Disadvantages: Nothing
With interest in Blood Brothers revived through the canny decision to cast Mel C in the role of Mrs Johnstone, I thought I'd pen some thoughts.
I've seen the West End production an embarassing number of times now (well into the double digits!) and almost always, have had every emotional button pushed. More of a play with songs, than a musical, the show lacks the gloss of Wicked or the gasp inducing sets of Phantom. But what it does have is a very ... ...no doubt will report back when I do.
It's been around donkeys years and sometimes we think it's abit of a coach party production or a tourist trap. It's not. Blood Brothers remains a relevant piece of theatre and deserves the widest audience possible. I know I'll be returning. ...
dazzlair 17.11.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: very entertaining,some great songs Disadvantages: the show ends
...every minute of it.
Blood Brothers was written by Willy Russell. It is set in Liverpool and is about two twins, Mickey and Eddie, who were separated at birth. Their mother (Mrs Johnstone) couldn’t afford to keep twins as she already had two other children so her employer persuaded her to give one to her. They both grow up leading very different lives and when they bump into each other as kids they become best friends. They do not know the ... ...Bright New Day, Sunday afternoon and Easy Terms amongst others. Blood Brothers is currently in its thirteenth year in the West end. At the minute this musical is been shown at the Phoenix Theatre. I highly recommend that you go and see this musical if you haven’t already. ...
Grimsbygal 10.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: Adults playing children! Disadvantages: Sad
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 ... ...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 ...
RuthHolohan 13.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: Excellent night out Disadvantages: Tight squeeze in seats
...I had never heard of Blood Brothers before but I am glad now that I decided to go along and give it a try. The story is based in Liverpool and is about twin brothers who become separated at birth as their mother can't afford both of them. Little did she know that her actions would have such drastic consequences.
The first half of the show will have you crying with laughter as you see the two boys growing up in very different environments. The second ... ...of the sadness as you see the twins lives fall apart. There is so much to enjoy about this show from the superb acting to the catchy songs that will stay in your head for days. I would jump at the chance to go again.
Some tips now. The closest underground station to the Phoenix Theatre is Leicester Square. I went to a nice Chinese restaurant before the show. If you are stuck up in the upper circle, make sure you take two 20p coins so you can use ...
Craigy_B 09.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Blood Borothers has now been showing at the Phoenix Theatre for nearly 12 years and in my opinion is the best musical i have seen. I don't know a lot about theatre productions but i know when something is good.
The Plot
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I won't give away the main events of the story and the consequences incase you havn't seen the show, hopefully i will just inspire you to go and see it. Willy Russels objective when he wrote this play was to show up how ... ...an excellent way. He showed up the differences between the classes using a satirical play. Willy Russel himself was a member of the lowqer class so he experienced what life would have been like. Mrs Johnstone is a poor woman, left single after her husband left with 8 children. To earn money she is working for an middle-upper class family. The story revolves around several themes, superstition, dreams, classes. All have an effect somehow on the plot, ...
swerty 26.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: Brilliant cast, great example of catharsis, entertaining, sad reflection of Thatcher's Britain Disadvantages: Don't cry
I saw Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London a year or two ago. It's a musical, which I generally like, and the songs did not disapoint.
Getting there was a bit tricky - there are obviously bus stops at regular points, but from the tube station at Oxford Street it's a good half mile walk, and down a little side alley to enter the theatre.
We got tickets from one of those West End tickets booths for about £17, which was for fair seats in ... ...'hit it off,' and become blood brothers.
What follows is a relationship which spans their whole lives - unti a chain of events sees Mickey in prison but Edward doing very well at university, to them both dead in their mid-thirties. This is not a spoiler - you see them both dead in the very opening scene.
"Blood Brothers" was written in 1981 by playwright Willy Russell. Born in Whiston, near Liverpool, in 1947, he left school aged fifteen and worked ...
Liam_lfo 12.11.2005 (13.11.2005)
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This is a great show for all the family and is another musical that left me in tears. The performances are brilliant and have some real stars in the making! The story is great and a real entertainer with it begin orginal and exciting. The songs are great and stay in the head for ages after - espceially if you get the CD!!!!!!!!
I want to see this again as it was that good and there are not that many plays I can say that too. I see a lot of muscials ...
joelamathews 18.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: Good story line Disadvantages: Only one show per day!
Did you hear the story of the Johnstone twins? As like eachother as two new pins? How one was kept and one was given away. How they where born and they died on the self same day.
If you haven't heard the story of the Johnstone twins I recommend that you get down to the Phoenix Theatre as soon as possible and watch this fantastic show. Willy Russel's sensational musical tells the story of two brothers seperated at birth and brought up on completely ... ...eighties this musical will stir up every emotion within you. It will make you laugh, make you cry and at the same time make you question some of the issues which this play raises. It covers serious issues such as poverty, depression and the class system but before you start yawning and thinking that this all seems too serious a musical to bother watching. The show has many classically funny moments, some real good one liners, fantastic songs which ...
KarmababyUK 25.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
Advantages: music, story, issues raised gently and with comedy. Disadvantages: Can be expensive for ceratin showings.
Blood Brothers is an unusual musical in that there is also a lot of talking included in the script. This makes the story far more plausible and adds something to the musical score. The story follows the path of two twins that were separated at birth. One was sent to a rich family, whilst the other stayed with its financially struggling family. We see the twins making friends and then the eventual realisation of who they really are. It is a compelling ... ...and thus feel great emotion at the musical's conclusion.
The music is very enjoyable and can be listened to time-and-time again without becoming repetitive or dull. It is a beautiful representation of inner-city life and handles the issue with a gentle comedy. This is definetely a musical worth watching. Try the Wednesday afternoon matinee performance for cheaper seats. ...
lec299 27.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Blood Brothers / Phoenix Theatre (London)
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