Blood Brothers: A Musical (Acting Edition) [Paperback]

Willy Russell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Acting Edition | Publication Date: December 31, 1985

A Liverpudlian West Side Story: twin brothers are separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. She gives one of them away to wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends in ignorance of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a blood-bath.

'Willy Russell is less concerned with political tub-thumping than with weaving a close-knit story about the working of fate and destiny ... it carries one along with it in almost unreserved enjoyment" "Guardian"

One of the longest-running and most successful ever West End musicals, "Blood Brothers" premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse in January 1983.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Olivier Award Best New Musical

Tony Award Best Book of a Musical

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Willy Russell was born in Whiston near Liverpool and left school at fifteen. He went through a succession of jobs before, at the age of twenty, he decided to become a teacher. At about the same time he saw John McGrath's play Unruly Elements at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, and was inspired to become a playwright. His plays include: One for the Road; Stags and Hens; Educating Rita; Blood Brothers; and Shirley Valentine.

 

 

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 84 pages
• Publisher: Samuel French (December 31, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 057308064X
• ISBN-13: 978-0573080647
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,957,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Have you ever heard the story of the Johnstone twins?, May 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Blood Brothers (Methuen Drama) (Paperback)

On welfare and already with too many children to call her own, Mrs. Johnstone is once again faced with another pregnancy--this time, twins. With the ability to only support one, Mrs. Johnstone is persuaded to give one of the babies to her childless employer, Mrs. Lyons. In an attempt to keep the boys apart when they unknowingly meet face-to-face and become "blood brothers," the Lyons move to another home in the English countryside. When the Johnstones are relocated, Mickey and Eddie again are happily reunited. As they get older, however, the difference in their social classes and a bitter love triangle tear them apart. One of the most haunting musical tragedies since West Side Story.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shoes Upon The Table, June 10, 2003

By 

Samantha (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Brothers (Methuen Drama) (Paperback)

It's an excellent story, full of laughs and tears. Mrs. Johnstone, who is barely getting by with the several children she already has, discovers she is pregnant again with twins (Micky and Eddie). She cannot support both of them so her employer, Mrs. Lyons, who is unable to have children, convinces Mrs. Johnstone to let her keep one of the babies. However, the boys are never to know that they are twins, for if they find out, so superstition says, they will both immediately die.
Of course, as years pass, the boys do meet and become best friends. They become 'Blood Brothers' and are always there for each other. But as they get older, they see the differences their social classes have brought upon them. They have grown up differently and tension starts to form between the two of them. But still, they never know the truth until it's too late.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I'm Not Saying a Word.", April 26, 2002

By 

tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blood Brothers (Modern Classics) (Paperback)

Though it is a bit crude in some parts, BLOOD BROTHERS remains and probably always will be my favorite musical of all time. The plot of the story revolves around a set of twins (Mickey and Eddie) separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to raise two more children. A deal is struck with the infertile employer of Mrs. Johnstone, Mrs. Lyons, and one of the children is raised by the Lyons in luxury. The only catch, no one must ever know the truth. As life has it, the boys eventually meet anyway and become the best of friends, blood brothers.

Willy Russell created a real gem here. BLOOD BROTHERS is a moving musical filled with all the tragedy and comedy of life, but without resorting to sentimental sap. The play exposed and illustrated to me the fatal flaws of the British economic caste system in a way far better than any other piece of literature ever has. It's a great play and though the moving music is not found here in the script, there's still the story.