Blood Brothers - Phoenix Theatre

SYNOPSIS

Blood Brothers

Blood Brothers is a powerful and gripping musical drama from Merseyside-born writer and composer William Martin Russell (Willy Russell). An original work, the play deals with the impact of social class on the lives of a single mother and her twin boys - Mickey and Eddie - in Liverpool during the 1960s and 1970s. For the audience it is an emotionally intense and sometimes gritty ride. It takes us both sides of the class fence, and ultimately brings home the futility of the class struggle.  

From School Play to West End show

Willy Russell first wrote Blood Brothers for a school performance in 1981. In 1983, after adapting "Educating Rita" for the stage, he set about transforming the Blood Brothers school play into a musical. It opened at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983 with rising star, Barbara Dickson, taking a lead role. Reviews were mixed and, after transferring to London's West End for a short stint, it closed.

Then, in 1987, producer Bill Kenwright resurrected the Show. It toured the UK for a year under his adaptation of the work, before opening at the Albery Theatre (Noel Coward Theatre) in the West End during 1988. In 1991 Blood Brothers moved to its present day home - the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road. It is now up among the longest running musicals to grace the West End.

The story of Mickey, Eddie and Mrs Johnstone

Blood Brothers opens with a chilling scene. On a dark side street in Liverpool two motionless figures are stretchered out of sight to the haunting "Tell me it's not true, say it's just a story," sung by a forlorn Mrs Johnstone. We are then taken back 25 years into the past - and the story unfolds as to how we came to this bewildering moment.

Mrs Johnstone is a poor single mother. She is pregnant and is already struggling to cope with the mass of children she has from a previous relationship. To put food on the table she takes a cleaning job for Mrs Lyons - a lady from the upper echelons of society. While working for Mrs Lyons, Mrs Johnstone discovers that she is expecting twins. She confides in Mrs Lyons, and tells her that she could just about cope with one more child, but two more would sink her.

The quick-thinking Mrs Lyons comes up with a solution. She suggests that Mrs Johnstone give her one of the twins to look after as a way to ease the financial burden. The superstitious Mrs Johnstone swears on the Bible to give Mrs Lyons one of the twins, and she duly does so when they are born - but wishes she had not agreed to the pact. Mrs Lyons makes Mrs Johnstone keep her end of the bargain by playing on her superstitions and telling her that the two boys must never know the truth, otherwise the twins will both drop dead.

The scene is now set. The two boys - Mickey and Eddie - grow up worlds apart, never knowing one another until a chance meeting between the two develops into a friendship. They make a pact to be blood brothers, neither being aware of their true identity.

But as their lives evolve their paths diverge even further. Eddie goes to Oxbridge and wins the affection of the girl Mickey had fallen in love with, while Mickey goes to prison.

The story climaxes when Mickey confronts Eddie with a gun. He laments about their different life paths, and that even though they are blood brothers, Eddie seems to have ended up with everything and Mickey nothing. In the final dramatic moments Mrs Johnstone reveals the truth to the two boys in an attempt to make Mickey put the gun down - it might work, but Mickey accidentally hits the trigger and shoots Eddie dead. The police then shoot Mickey -- and Mrs Lyon's prophecy rings true.

Famous Names

Willy Russell's acclaimed script has attracted some big stage names to play the lead roles.  Aside from Barbara Dickson, the character of Mrs Johnstone has been played by Stephanie Lawrence, Kiki Dee, Siobhan McCarthy and all four of the Nolan Sisters. Former Blue singer Anthony Costa took the role of Mickey in 2006, while in the Australian production actor Russell Crowe took to the stage as Mickey during a run in the late 1980s.

Today in the West End, actress Helen Hobson plays Mrs Johnstone in what critics are now hailing as the 'greatest musical of the decade'. When you see the performance, you just might agree.