Blood Brothers
Encyclopedia
Blood Brothers is a musical
written by Willy Russell, based loosely on the 1844 novella The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas, père
. The story is a contemporary nature vs. nurture plot, revolving around fraternal twins who were separated at birth. The twins' different backgrounds take them to opposite ends of the social spectrum, one becoming an Oxbridge
-graduated councillor and the other unemployed and in prison. They both fall in love with the same girl, causing a tear in their friendship and leading the tragic deaths of both brothers.
The musical debuted in 1983, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical
. The current West End
revival is one of the longest-running musical productions in history, opening in 1988 West End
and still running as of 2011. The musical has been produced with success on tour, on Broadway
and elsewhere, and it has developed a cult following.
, in 1983, starring Barbara Dickson
and Andrew C. Wadsworth. It was only a modest success. Nevertheless, the show transferred to London's West End
on 11 April 1983 at the Lyric Theatre
and ran until 22 October 1983, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical
and another Olivier for Dickson's performance. The story is an updated version of the 1844 novella The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas, père
.
Blood Brothers had a year-long national tour beginning in 1987, produced by Bill Kenwright
(and directed by Kenwright and Bob Tomson), leading to a revival at the Albery Theatre, opening on 28 July 1988 and closing on 16 November 1991. The original cast included Con O'Neill
, who, as Mickey, won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in 1989. The musical transferred to the Phoenix Theatre
on 21 November 1991, where it is still running.
The central role of Mrs. Johnstone has been played by, among others, Sarah Haye, Barbara Dickson
, Stephanie Lawrence
, Clodagh Rodgers
, Kiki Dee
, Lyn Paul
, Siobhan McCarthy
, four of the Nolan sisters
(Linda, Bernie, Denise and Maureen), Melanie Chisholm
(making her West End debut and receiving an Olivier nomination in 2009) and Niki Evans
. Mickey has been played by Antony Costa
. Steven Houghton
played The Narrator. The current London cast stars Amy Robbins
as Mrs Johnstone, Stephen Palfreman as Mickey and Simon Willmont as Eddie, with Marti Pellow
as The Narrator.
in May to York
in December. In 2010, the musical plays cities from Glasgow
in February to Birmingham
in October. Marti Webb
(in 2008) and Niki Evans
(in 2010/2011) each played Mrs. Johnstone. And in Stourbridge (2011/2012) their was also a alternate ending from the original, however this version was not a musical.
in the role of Mickey and rocker Chrissy Amphlet as Mrs Johnstone.
production opened on 25 April 1993 at the Music Box Theatre
and closed on 30 April 1995 after 840 performances. Several of the British actors made their Broadway debuts, including Stephanie Lawrence as Mrs. Johnstone, Con O'Neill as Mickey, Jan Graveson as Linda, Mark Michael Hutchinson as Eddie and Warwick Evans as the narrator. Kerry Butler
made her Broadway debut in the ensemble. In order to boost box office sales, Bill Kenwright convinced Petula Clark
to make her Broadway debut as Mrs. Johnstone, with David Cassidy
and Shaun Cassidy
as her sons. The casting of Jack Cassidy
's two eldest sons as the titular brothers generated much publicity at the time, although, in reality, David and Shaun are only half-brothers - their respective mothers being Jack Cassidy's two wives, Evelyn Ward
and Shirley Jones
. Furthermore, there is an eight year age difference between the ostensible "twins".
Petula Clark later starred in the US national tour from 1994–95. Clark and the Cassidys also recorded the international cast album, with Willy Russell as the Narrator. Following Clark's portrayal, Mrs. Johnstone was played by other 1960s pop singers, with Carole King
and Helen Reddy
later playing the role on Broadway. Many of the cast members were also in the Canadian run, which starred David Cassidy
, Michael Burgess
and Canadian singer-songwriter Amy Sky
The musical received Tony Award
nominations for best musical, best book and best direction, and Stephanie Lawrence (best actress), Con O Neill (best actor) and Jan Graveson (best featured actress) were all nominated for their performances in the original Broadway cast.
In about 1960, Mrs Johnstone is unable to pay the bills and cannot support her family after her husband walks out on her, so she takes a job as a cleaner for a wealthy local couple, Mr and Mrs Lyons. Soon she finds out she is pregnant but she can barely afford to have the child.
Mrs. Lyons is desperate for a baby but is unable to conceive, and would like to adopt a child but her husband does not agree. Mrs Johnstone finds out that she is going to have twins and explains to Mrs Lyons that she cannot afford two more babies. Mrs Lyons then suggests that Mrs Johnstone give one of the babies to her. Mrs Johnstone apprehensively agrees to this and is made to swear on The Bible to keep to the deal. Mrs Johnstone has the twins (Mickey and Edward), but then regrets having agreed to give one away. She lies to her other children, saying that the other baby had died and gone to heaven.
Mrs. Johnstone continues to work for Mrs Lyons, but Mrs Lyons soon feels that Mrs Johnstone is paying too much attention to the child that she has given up to her. She fires Mrs Johnstone, who wants to take the baby with her, but Mrs Lyons plays on Mrs Johnstone's superstitions by telling her that "if twins separated at birth learn that they were once one of a pair they will both immediately die". Mrs Johnstone refuses to take the money that Mrs Lyons gave her and leaves without the child and money.
Seven years later, Mickey, the son Mrs. Johnstone kept, meets Edward, the other twin, and after learning they share the same birthday, the two boys make a pact to become blood brothers, with Mickey calling Edward: Eddie. Mrs Johnstone finds them and sends Eddie away, telling him not to come round again or else the "Bogey-man" will get him. Later in the day Mickey goes to Eddie's house, and Mrs Lyons throws him out. She and Eddie argue on the subject, and Eddie swears at her. Mrs Lyons slaps him and immediately regrets her reaction. She realises that he has learned to swear from Mickey.
Mickey is playing with some neighbourhood children including his friend Linda. Afterwards, he takes her to see Eddie, and the three of them sneak off to play, but are caught by a policeman when about to throw stones through a window. Mrs Lyons tries to find Eddie. She becomes worried about Eddie's friendship with Mickey, as she has started to believe the superstition that she herself had made up. She decides to move and persuades her husband who realises she is becoming ill. When Eddie says goodbye, Mrs Johnstone gives him a locket with a picture of herself and Mickey, as the boys separate.
The scene shifts to the time towards the end of the 1960s when the Johnstone family are being rehoused from the condemned inner city slum area of Liverpool
to a new council house
in the overspill town of Skelmersdale
.
Act Two
It is now the mid 1970s and Eddie, Mickey and Linda are now 14 years old. The Johnstones' lives have improved since moving, and they have not seen Eddie in all this time. Mickey has a crush on Linda, who is obviously interested in him too, but Mickey does not know how to act with her. Both of them are suspended after mouthing off to their teacher. Eddie is suspended from his boarding school for refusing to give up Mrs Johnstone's locket to a teacher, but he will not tell his mother who it was from. Mrs Lyons sees Mrs Johnstone near her house and her worries are renewed. Eddie and Mickey bump into each other in a field, but do not recognize each other. They become friends again, each wanting to be like the other. They finally realize who the other is and meet up with Linda. Mrs Lyons flies into a rage and tries to kill Mrs Johnstone, but she couldn't and Mrs Johnstone just showed her out of the door.
Four years later, an 18-year-old Eddie has feelings for Linda, but will not say anything, as he knows Mickey likes her too. Eddie leaves for university, but not before encouraging Mickey to ask Linda out. During Eddie's absence, around the turn of the 1980s, Mickey is made redundant from his factory job due to the recession
, which forces him onto the dole
. He soon discovers that Linda is pregnant, and they decide to get married. Eddie returns at Christmas
ready to party and have fun, but Mickey realizes that they are now very different; after a small fight with Eddie, they part. To get money, Mickey assists his brother Sammy in a robbery that goes wrong, and becomes an accessory
to a murder
committed by Sammy. He is sentenced to seven years in prison.
In prison, Mickey falls into a deep depression
. When released early for good behaviour, he is still dependent on anti-depressants, and he turns away from Linda. She contacts Eddie, who is now a councillor, and he gets them their own house and gets Mickey a job. Linda worries about Mickey and meets up with Eddie. Mrs Lyons sees them together and tells Mickey about it. Mickey, distraught over Eddie and Linda's innocent affair, grabs the gun that Sammy hid before he got arrested and then storms down to the council offices to confront Eddie.
There, Eddie is giving a speech when Mickey storms in with the gun. Mickey asks why, even though Eddie has everything and Mickey has nothing, Eddie would take away the one good thing that Mickey had — Linda. Eddie denies this intention, and the police enter, demanding that Mickey put the gun down, Mickey lowers the gun. Mrs. Johnstone runs in and, in an attempt to stop Mickey from shooting Eddie, tells the two brothers the truth. Mickey despairs that he was not the one given away, because then he could have had the life given to Eddie. Mickey, distraught, gestures carelessly with the gun towards Eddie. This sad story ends when the police misinterpret this action and gun Mickey down as he accidentally shoots Eddie, killing him. Mrs Lyons's superstitious prediction has come true, and the Narrator questions whether class was more to blame than superstition.
The story ends some time around the mid 1980s.
Act II
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
written by Willy Russell, based loosely on the 1844 novella The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
. The story is a contemporary nature vs. nurture plot, revolving around fraternal twins who were separated at birth. The twins' different backgrounds take them to opposite ends of the social spectrum, one becoming an Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
-graduated councillor and the other unemployed and in prison. They both fall in love with the same girl, causing a tear in their friendship and leading the tragic deaths of both brothers.
The musical debuted in 1983, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical
Olivier Award for Best New Musical
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical is an annual presentation by The Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial British musical theatre...
. The current West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
revival is one of the longest-running musical productions in history, opening in 1988 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and still running as of 2011. The musical has been produced with success on tour, on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and elsewhere, and it has developed a cult following.
Production history
Willy Russell originally wrote and presented Blood Brothers as a school play in 1981 in conjunction with Merseyside Young People's Theatre (MYPT, Now operating as Fuse: New Theatre For Young People). He then developed the musical for a production at the Liverpool PlayhouseLiverpool Playhouse
The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actresses, some of which went on to achieve...
, in 1983, starring Barbara Dickson
Barbara Dickson
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
and Andrew C. Wadsworth. It was only a modest success. Nevertheless, the show transferred to London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
on 11 April 1983 at the Lyric Theatre
Lyric Theatre (London)
The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster.Designed by architect C. J. Phipps, it was built by producer Henry Leslie with profits from the Alfred Cellier and B. C. Stephenson hit, Dorothy, which he transferred from the Prince of Wales Theatre to open...
and ran until 22 October 1983, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical
Olivier Award for Best New Musical
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical is an annual presentation by The Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial British musical theatre...
and another Olivier for Dickson's performance. The story is an updated version of the 1844 novella The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
.
Blood Brothers had a year-long national tour beginning in 1987, produced by Bill Kenwright
Bill Kenwright
Bill Kenwright CBE is a leading West End theatre producer and film producer.He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club, an English professional football club from the city of Liverpool....
(and directed by Kenwright and Bob Tomson), leading to a revival at the Albery Theatre, opening on 28 July 1988 and closing on 16 November 1991. The original cast included Con O'Neill
Con O'Neill (actor)
Robert "Con" O'Neill is a British actor. He began his acting career at Liverpool's Everyman Youth Theatre....
, who, as Mickey, won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in 1989. The musical transferred to the Phoenix Theatre
Phoenix Theatre (London)
The Phoenix Theatre is a West End theatre in the London Borough of Camden, located on Charing Cross Road . The entrance is in Phoenix Street....
on 21 November 1991, where it is still running.
The central role of Mrs. Johnstone has been played by, among others, Sarah Haye, Barbara Dickson
Barbara Dickson
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
, Stephanie Lawrence
Stephanie Lawrence
Stephanie Lawrence was a British musical theatre actress.-Background:Stephanie Lawrence was born in Hayling Island, Hampshire, the daughter of a singer and classically trained dancer.She was from an early age close friends with another Famous Islander Peter Chilvers who in 1958 invented the...
, Clodagh Rodgers
Clodagh Rodgers
Clodagh Rodgers is a singer and actress from Northern Ireland, best known for her hit single, "Jack in the Box".-Career:...
, Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years....
, Lyn Paul
Lyn Paul
Lyn Paul is an English pop singer and actress. She came to fame as a member of the international chart-topping pop group The New Seekers in the early 1970s...
, Siobhan McCarthy
Siobhán McCarthy
Siobhán Mary Ann McCarthy is a television and stage actress. She is married to theatrical sound designer Andrew Bruce, and resides in London with her husband and two children, Kieran and Juliet....
, four of the Nolan sisters
The Nolans
The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish all-female band consisting of a group of sisters. The group, best known for their song "I'm In the Mood for Dancing", gained prominence as guest performers on numerous television shows in the United Kingdom...
(Linda, Bernie, Denise and Maureen), Melanie Chisholm
Melanie Chisholm
Melanie Jayne Chisholm is an English singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman professionally known simply as Melanie C . She is best known as one of the five members of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed "Sporty Spice"...
(making her West End debut and receiving an Olivier nomination in 2009) and Niki Evans
Niki Evans
Niki Evans is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her appearance in the fourth UK series of the popular television talent show The X Factor in 2007. She is currently appearing as Mrs. Johnstone in the current UK national tour of Blood Brothers.-Pre X Factor:Niki Evans has sung...
. Mickey has been played by Antony Costa
Antony Costa
Antony Daniel Costa is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Career:One of Costa's earliest television roles was as a pupil in Steven Moffat's sitcom Chalk...
. Steven Houghton
Steven Houghton
Steven Houghton is a British actor and singer.-Early life and career:Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Houghton trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. His first West End production was Children of Eden...
played The Narrator. The current London cast stars Amy Robbins
Amy Robbins
Amy Robbins is an English actress best known for her role as Dr. Jill Weatherill in the British television series The Royal. Prior to her current role she played Police Sergeant Rachel James in the BBC One hospital drama Casualty for one series...
as Mrs Johnstone, Stephen Palfreman as Mickey and Simon Willmont as Eddie, with Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow has been the lead singer of the Scottish pop group Wet Wet Wet since their formation in 1982. He has also recorded solo material.-Early life:...
as The Narrator.
UK tour
The musical has toured in the UK intermittently since 1996. In 2008 it played cities from WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
in May to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in December. In 2010, the musical plays cities from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in February to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in October. Marti Webb
Marti Webb
Marti Webb is a musical actress from England, who appeared on stage in Evita, before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's one woman show Tell Me on a Sunday in 1980...
(in 2008) and Niki Evans
Niki Evans
Niki Evans is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her appearance in the fourth UK series of the popular television talent show The X Factor in 2007. She is currently appearing as Mrs. Johnstone in the current UK national tour of Blood Brothers.-Pre X Factor:Niki Evans has sung...
(in 2010/2011) each played Mrs. Johnstone. And in Stourbridge (2011/2012) their was also a alternate ending from the original, however this version was not a musical.
Australia
The first Australian production, in 1988, included Russell CroweRussell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
in the role of Mickey and rocker Chrissy Amphlet as Mrs Johnstone.
Broadway and U.S. tour
The BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production opened on 25 April 1993 at the Music Box Theatre
Music Box Theatre
The Music Box Theater is a Broadway theatre located at 239 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.The once most aptly named theater on Broadway, the intimate Music Box was designed by architect C. Howard Crane and constructed by composer Irving Berlin and producer Sam H. Harris specifically to...
and closed on 30 April 1995 after 840 performances. Several of the British actors made their Broadway debuts, including Stephanie Lawrence as Mrs. Johnstone, Con O'Neill as Mickey, Jan Graveson as Linda, Mark Michael Hutchinson as Eddie and Warwick Evans as the narrator. Kerry Butler
Kerry Butler
Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:...
made her Broadway debut in the ensemble. In order to boost box office sales, Bill Kenwright convinced Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
to make her Broadway debut as Mrs. Johnstone, with David Cassidy
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
and Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones, and the second son of Tony award-winning actor Jack Cassidy...
as her sons. The casting of Jack Cassidy
Jack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
's two eldest sons as the titular brothers generated much publicity at the time, although, in reality, David and Shaun are only half-brothers - their respective mothers being Jack Cassidy's two wives, Evelyn Ward
Evelyn Ward
Evelyn Ward was an American actress best known for her television career from the late 1940s through the mid 1960s, and for being the mother of famous actor and teen idol David Cassidy....
and Shirley Jones
Shirley Jones
Shirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. In her six decades of television, she starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! , Carousel , and The Music Man...
. Furthermore, there is an eight year age difference between the ostensible "twins".
Petula Clark later starred in the US national tour from 1994–95. Clark and the Cassidys also recorded the international cast album, with Willy Russell as the Narrator. Following Clark's portrayal, Mrs. Johnstone was played by other 1960s pop singers, with Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
and Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy , often referred to as "The Queen of 70s Pop", is an Australian-American singer and actress. In the 1970s, she enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10...
later playing the role on Broadway. Many of the cast members were also in the Canadian run, which starred David Cassidy
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
, Michael Burgess
Michael Burgess (singer)
Michael Burgess is a popular Canadian actor and singer .Burgess is best known for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in the Toronto production of Les Misérables. He appeared as one of the 17 Jean Valjeans at the end of the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert...
and Canadian singer-songwriter Amy Sky
Amy Sky
Amy Sky is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, theatre actress, and television host. Sky started classical music lessons at the age of five , and plays piano, guitar, cello and recorder....
The musical received Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominations for best musical, best book and best direction, and Stephanie Lawrence (best actress), Con O Neill (best actor) and Jan Graveson (best featured actress) were all nominated for their performances in the original Broadway cast.
Plot
Act OneIn about 1960, Mrs Johnstone is unable to pay the bills and cannot support her family after her husband walks out on her, so she takes a job as a cleaner for a wealthy local couple, Mr and Mrs Lyons. Soon she finds out she is pregnant but she can barely afford to have the child.
Mrs. Lyons is desperate for a baby but is unable to conceive, and would like to adopt a child but her husband does not agree. Mrs Johnstone finds out that she is going to have twins and explains to Mrs Lyons that she cannot afford two more babies. Mrs Lyons then suggests that Mrs Johnstone give one of the babies to her. Mrs Johnstone apprehensively agrees to this and is made to swear on The Bible to keep to the deal. Mrs Johnstone has the twins (Mickey and Edward), but then regrets having agreed to give one away. She lies to her other children, saying that the other baby had died and gone to heaven.
Mrs. Johnstone continues to work for Mrs Lyons, but Mrs Lyons soon feels that Mrs Johnstone is paying too much attention to the child that she has given up to her. She fires Mrs Johnstone, who wants to take the baby with her, but Mrs Lyons plays on Mrs Johnstone's superstitions by telling her that "if twins separated at birth learn that they were once one of a pair they will both immediately die". Mrs Johnstone refuses to take the money that Mrs Lyons gave her and leaves without the child and money.
Seven years later, Mickey, the son Mrs. Johnstone kept, meets Edward, the other twin, and after learning they share the same birthday, the two boys make a pact to become blood brothers, with Mickey calling Edward: Eddie. Mrs Johnstone finds them and sends Eddie away, telling him not to come round again or else the "Bogey-man" will get him. Later in the day Mickey goes to Eddie's house, and Mrs Lyons throws him out. She and Eddie argue on the subject, and Eddie swears at her. Mrs Lyons slaps him and immediately regrets her reaction. She realises that he has learned to swear from Mickey.
Mickey is playing with some neighbourhood children including his friend Linda. Afterwards, he takes her to see Eddie, and the three of them sneak off to play, but are caught by a policeman when about to throw stones through a window. Mrs Lyons tries to find Eddie. She becomes worried about Eddie's friendship with Mickey, as she has started to believe the superstition that she herself had made up. She decides to move and persuades her husband who realises she is becoming ill. When Eddie says goodbye, Mrs Johnstone gives him a locket with a picture of herself and Mickey, as the boys separate.
The scene shifts to the time towards the end of the 1960s when the Johnstone family are being rehoused from the condemned inner city slum area of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to a new council house
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
in the overspill town of Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...
.
Act Two
It is now the mid 1970s and Eddie, Mickey and Linda are now 14 years old. The Johnstones' lives have improved since moving, and they have not seen Eddie in all this time. Mickey has a crush on Linda, who is obviously interested in him too, but Mickey does not know how to act with her. Both of them are suspended after mouthing off to their teacher. Eddie is suspended from his boarding school for refusing to give up Mrs Johnstone's locket to a teacher, but he will not tell his mother who it was from. Mrs Lyons sees Mrs Johnstone near her house and her worries are renewed. Eddie and Mickey bump into each other in a field, but do not recognize each other. They become friends again, each wanting to be like the other. They finally realize who the other is and meet up with Linda. Mrs Lyons flies into a rage and tries to kill Mrs Johnstone, but she couldn't and Mrs Johnstone just showed her out of the door.
Four years later, an 18-year-old Eddie has feelings for Linda, but will not say anything, as he knows Mickey likes her too. Eddie leaves for university, but not before encouraging Mickey to ask Linda out. During Eddie's absence, around the turn of the 1980s, Mickey is made redundant from his factory job due to the recession
Early 1980s recession
The early 1980s recession describes the severe global economic recession affecting much of the developed world in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The United States and Japan exited recession relatively early, but high unemployment would continue to affect other OECD nations through at least 1985...
, which forces him onto the dole
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
. He soon discovers that Linda is pregnant, and they decide to get married. Eddie returns at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
ready to party and have fun, but Mickey realizes that they are now very different; after a small fight with Eddie, they part. To get money, Mickey assists his brother Sammy in a robbery that goes wrong, and becomes an accessory
Accessory (legal term)
An accessory is a person who assists in the commission of a crime, but who does not actually participate in the commission of the crime as a joint principal...
to a murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
committed by Sammy. He is sentenced to seven years in prison.
In prison, Mickey falls into a deep depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. When released early for good behaviour, he is still dependent on anti-depressants, and he turns away from Linda. She contacts Eddie, who is now a councillor, and he gets them their own house and gets Mickey a job. Linda worries about Mickey and meets up with Eddie. Mrs Lyons sees them together and tells Mickey about it. Mickey, distraught over Eddie and Linda's innocent affair, grabs the gun that Sammy hid before he got arrested and then storms down to the council offices to confront Eddie.
There, Eddie is giving a speech when Mickey storms in with the gun. Mickey asks why, even though Eddie has everything and Mickey has nothing, Eddie would take away the one good thing that Mickey had — Linda. Eddie denies this intention, and the police enter, demanding that Mickey put the gun down, Mickey lowers the gun. Mrs. Johnstone runs in and, in an attempt to stop Mickey from shooting Eddie, tells the two brothers the truth. Mickey despairs that he was not the one given away, because then he could have had the life given to Eddie. Mickey, distraught, gestures carelessly with the gun towards Eddie. This sad story ends when the police misinterpret this action and gun Mickey down as he accidentally shoots Eddie, killing him. Mrs Lyons's superstitious prediction has come true, and the Narrator questions whether class was more to blame than superstition.
The story ends some time around the mid 1980s.
Musical numbers
Act I- Overture – Orchestra, Company and Narrator
- Marilyn Monroe – Mrs. Johnstone and Company
- Marilyn Monroe (Reprise) – Mrs. Johnstone
- My Child – Mrs. Johnstone and Mrs Lyons
- Easy Terms – Mrs. Johnstone
- Shoes Upon The Table – Narrator
- Easy Terms (Reprise) – Mrs. Johnstone
- Kids' Game – Linda, Mickey and Ensemble
- Bright New Day (Preview) – Mrs. Johnstone
- Long Sunday Afternoon/My Friend – Mickey and Eddie
- Bright New Day – Mrs. Johnstone and Company
Act II
- Entr'acte – Orchestral piece
- Marilyn Monroe 2 – Mrs. Johnstone and Company
- The Devil's Got Your Number – Narration
- That Guy – Mickey & Eddie
- Shoes Upon the Table (Reprise) – Narrator
- I'm Not Saying A Word – Eddie
- Miss Jones – Mr Lyons, Miss Jones and Company
- Marilyn Monroe 3 – Mrs. Johnstone
- Light Romance – Mrs. Johnstone
- Madman – Narrator
- Tell Me It's Not True – Mrs Johnstone
Albums
- 1983 Original London Cast Recording of Blood Brothers
- 1988 London Cast of Blood Brothers
- 1995 London Cast of Blood Brothers (musical album)
- 1995 International Cast Recording of Blood Brothers
Original London production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Barbara Dickson Barbara Dickson Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"... |
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1988 London revival
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Con O'Neill Con O'Neill (actor) Robert "Con" O'Neill is a British actor. He began his acting career at Liverpool's Everyman Youth Theatre.... |
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| 2010 | Best Actress in a Musical | Melanie C |
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Con O'Neill Con O'Neill (actor) Robert "Con" O'Neill is a British actor. He began his acting career at Liverpool's Everyman Youth Theatre.... |
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| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Mark Michael Hutchinson Mark Michael Hutchinson Mark Michael Hutchinson is an actor noted for his 1993 award winning performance in Blood Brothers.-References:... |
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| Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
Best Musical Tony Award for Best Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack... |
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| Best Book of a Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible... |
Willy Russell | |||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival... |
Con O'Neill Con O'Neill (actor) Robert "Con" O'Neill is a British actor. He began his acting career at Liverpool's Everyman Youth Theatre.... |
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| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Stephanie Lawrence Stephanie Lawrence Stephanie Lawrence was a British musical theatre actress.-Background:Stephanie Lawrence was born in Hayling Island, Hampshire, the daughter of a singer and classically trained dancer.She was from an early age close friends with another Famous Islander Peter Chilvers who in 1958 invented the... |
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| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of the Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical. The award, introduced in 1950, was previously named as Best Performance by a Featured or Supporting Actress in a Musical until 1976.... |
Jan Graveson Jan Graveson Janice Margaret "Jan" Graveson is a British actress and singer.-Television:Born in Easington, County Durham.Childhood: Horden & Peterlee, County Durham... |
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| Best Direction of a Musical Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions... |
Bill Kenwright Bill Kenwright Bill Kenwright CBE is a leading West End theatre producer and film producer.He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club, an English professional football club from the city of Liverpool.... and Bob Tomson |
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External links
- kenwright.com Official website
- Synopsis and production information at guidetomusicaltheatre.com
- Plot summary & character descriptions for Blood Brothers from StageAgent.com
- www.bloodbrothersthemusical.webs.com, Fan website with exclusive and updated content.
- Interview with Lyn Paul, who plays Mrs Johnston, Liverpool Daily PostLiverpool Daily PostThe Liverpool Daily Post is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Friday and is published in Merseyside, Cheshire, and North Wales editions, and is a morning paper...
, 28 December 2007 - Blood Brothers Musical Tickets