Blood Brothers (musical)

For other uses, see Blood Brothers (disambiguation).

File:558.jpg

20th Anniversary London Poster (c) Bill Kenwright Limited

Blood Brothers is a 1983 musical, with book, lyrics, and music by Willy Russell. It is one of the longest-running musicals of all time. The musical is a contemporary nature vs. nurture tale revolving around twins separated at birth.

Background

The original production by Willy Russell was written as a school play and presented in 1981. Russell then developed the work into a full blown musical, which opened in the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983, starring Barbara Dickson. It was only a modest success. The show transferred to London where it played for only six months or so before closing. Then Bill Kenwright took over the show and following a year long national tour it reopened in the Albery Theatre in London in 1988 before transferring it to the Phoenix Theatre, where it has been running since. Con O'Neill, who played Mickey, was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1989 (1988 season) for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance.

The production has now passed its 20th year and has developed a cult following. The central role of Mrs. Johnstone has been played by, among others, Stephanie Lawrence, Kiki Dee, Lyn Paul, Helen Hobson, Siobhan McCarthy, and four of the Nolan sisters (Linda, Bernie, Denise and Maureen). Ex-Blue member Antony Costa is also currently part of the London cast as of 10 April 2006, starring alongside Maureen Nolan as Mrs. Johnstone. Musicals and TV star Steven Houghton joined the London cast as The Narrator in 2007. A second UK production is currently on tour, starring Linda Nolan as Mrs. Johnstone.

Petula Clark gave the sluggish Broadway production a much-needed boost when she joined the cast on August 16, 1993. She remained with the show until April 1994, then subsequently starred in the US touring company from September of that year until May 1995. She recorded the international cast album with her Broadway co-stars - real-life brothers David Cassidy and Shaun Cassidy - along with Willy Russell himself in the role of the Narrator. David's son Beau Cassidy played the exact same role of Mickey as his father in 2006 at Stagedoor Manor in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Clark's success as Mrs. Johnstone led to the role becoming a calling card for other pop singers, with Carole King and Helen Reddy following her in the role on Broadway.

The best known song from the score is the finale "Tell Me It's Not True," which has become a staple in the concert repertoires of Dickson, Clark and Reddy.

Plot

General

The story is set in Liverpool, and begins in the late 1950s and ends around the 1970s, the story is narrated throughout by an un-named man. The plot outlined here is the plot of the professional musical. When it was originally written as a school play it was very different and with a different ending, in which Mrs Lyons kills both brothers, Eddie by accident.

Act 1

You can see the stage, but there is a fire curtain in down. The Overture begins, and after a few bars the fire curtain rises to reveal a darkened empty street in Northern England. Slowly various characters walk on, although at this time we do not know who they are. Two of these figures lay down on stretchers and are later carried off. The Narrator informs of what is happening before turning to a figure at the front and introducing her as Mrs Johnstone. He says “…lets see how she came to play this part,” the woman turns around and begins to sing “Marilyn Monroe”. We are now about 25 years earlier in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s and the story is told as a flashback. Mrs Johnstone sings of her life before hand. We learn she was once married but is now a single parent with lots of children. She is pregnant at present but feels she can cope with one more child.

In the next scene we see Mrs Johnstone at her workplace. She is a cleaner for an upper class family - the Lyons. In a conversation we learn of Mrs Johnstone’s superstition as she tells Mrs Lyons not to put new shoes on the table (this is important as some of the songs are linked to this idea of shoes upon the table). We are also informed that Mrs Lyons is desperate for a baby but is unable to have one, and her husband, who is away working at the moment, does not want to adopt. Mrs Johnstone then finds out she is going to have twins and the next day at her work she is very upset. When questioned by Mrs Lyons she explains that she can't cope financially with two babies and the ‘social’ have been onto her about the ones she's already got. Mrs Lyons then suggests that Mrs Johnstone gives one of the babies to her and the song “My Child” begins. Mrs Johnstone agrees and is made to swear on the bible to keep to the deal. Mrs Johnstone has the twins, but then regrets having agreed to give one away through the song “Easy Terms”. During this song Mrs Lyons appears to collect her baby.

Mrs Johnstone continues to work for Mrs Lyons, however eventually Mrs Lyons feels she no longer wants Mrs Johnstone around. When Mrs Lyons fires her Mrs Johnstone decides she will take the baby with her despite having sworn on the bible. In order to stop her Mrs Lyons tells Mrs Johnstone of a superstition that “if twins separated at birth learn that they were once one of a pair they will both immediately die”. The song “Shoes Upon the Table”, sung by the narrator, begins. Mrs Johnstone feels she cant take the baby as she doesn’t want to be a murderer and leaves.

The story then moves on seven years and we meet Mickey, the son Mrs Johnstone kept. Through chance he meets Eddie, the other twin, and after learning they share the same birthday decide to become blood brothers. Mrs Johnstone finds them and sends Eddie away, telling him not to come round again. Later in the day Mickey goes to Eddie's house and Mrs Lyons throws him out. She and Eddie argue on the subject, Eddie swears at her with a word Mickey taught him and Mrs Lyons slaps him, immediately regretting it. The song “Kids Game” follows. 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. The Narrator sings a reprise of “Shoes Upon the Table” as Mrs Lyons tries to find Eddie. Mrs Lyons becomes so worried about the fact that he is mixing with Mickey that she decides to move house and persuades her husband by pretending to be ill. When Eddie says goodbye Mrs Johnstone gives him a locket with a picture of herself and Mickey. Mickey and Eddie then sing the song “Long Sunday Afternoon/ My Friend” which segues into “Oh Bright New Day”. The reason it is a bright new day is that Mrs Johnstone and her family are being re-housed in the countryside and during this song they move into their new house. After this the curtain closes on Act 1.

Act 2

The curtain rises on Act 2 after a reprise of “Bright New Day” acts as en entr’acte which segues into “Marlyin Monroe (Part 2)”. This fills us in on the past 7 years (Eddie and Mickey are now 14). Mrs Johnstone and her family's lives are much improved since moving and they haven’t seen Eddie at all. Mickey has a crush on Linda who is being very obvious in her advances, but Mickey doesn't know how to act with her. Both of them are suspended after mouthing off to their teacher. We then see Eddie’s boarding school and a scene in which is suspened too for refusing to give up Mrs Johnstone's locket to a teacher. When he reaches home his mother asks him about it and he wont tell her. The Narrator then sings a reprise of “Shoes Upon the Table”. Later by chance Eddie and Mickey bump into each other in a field, but don’t realise who they are. They sing “That Guy” which shows how they so much want to be like each other.

After the song they realise who the others is and meet up with Linda. The song “Summer Sequence” moves the action to when they are 18 years old. Eddie then sings “I’m not saying a word” which shows that he has feelings for Linda but won’t say anything as he knows Mickey likes her too. After this Eddie leaves for university but not before encouraging Mickey to ask Linda out. During Eddie’s absence a lot happens to Mickey. He discovers Linda is pregnant and they decide to get married; however before this happens he is fired from his job in a factory. Eddie returns at Christmas, but Mickey realises that they are now very different and after a small fight with Eddie they part. In order to get money he assists his brother Sammy in a robbery, is caught and sentenced to 7 years in prison as Mrs Johnstone sings “Marilyn Monroe (Part 3”).

In prison he becomes chronically depressed and dependant on anti-depressant drugs. When released he is still dependant on the drugs, and his relationship with Linda is not going very well. She tries her best to help him but fails. She contacts Eddie, who is now a councillor. Mrs Johnstone sings “Light Romance” as Eddie and Linda have a fling. Mrs Lyons sees them together and tells Mickey. “Light Romance” segues into “Madman” sung by the narrator. In this song Mickey, distraught over Eddie and Linda's affair, goes ‘mad’ and grabs a gun before storming down to the council offices to confront Eddie.

The final scene is in the council offices. Eddie is giving a speech when Mickey storms in with the gun. The police enter and tell Mickey that they are armed and to put the gun down. Mrs Johnstone runs onto the stage and, in an attempt to stop Mickey shooting Eddie, tells the two brothers the truth. Mickey despairs that he wasn't the one given away, because then he could have been like Eddie. He waves the gun in Eddie's direction and accidently sets it off and shoots Eddie. The police shoot Mickey at almost the exact same moment. (But in the script book, available in book stores, there is an alternative ending). This means Mrs Lyons's superstitious idea has come true, although the Narrator comments that class was more to blame than superstition. The final song is “Tell Me It’s Not True”, during which the entire cast come onstage and sing the final chorus. The curtain then falls.

Principal Characters

• Mrs. Johnstone
• Mrs. Lyons
• Mr. Lyons
• Narrator
• Mickey (Twin)
• Eddie (Twin)
• Sammy Johnstone
• Linda
• Policeman
• Teacher
• Donna-Marie

Cultural Influence

The musical was parodied by Forbidden Broadway as "Mug Brothers" on their third album, which included a parody of Clark's hit "Downtown" as "Down Show", ridiculing the depressing aspects of this "musical tragedy".

Songs

Act One

• Overture
• Marilyn Monroe (Part 1)
• My Child
• Easy Terms
• Shoes Upon the Table
• Kids Game (Just A Game)
• Gypsies In The Wood (variation of Shoes Upon The Table)
• Long Sunday Afternoon/ My Friend
• Bright New Day

Act Two

• Entr'acte/ Marilyn Monroe - (Part 2)
• Secrets
• That Guy
• Summer Sequence
• I'm Not Saying A Word
• Take A Letter Miss Jones
• Marilyn Monroe - (Part 3)
• Light Romance
• Madman - (variation of Shoes Upon The Table)
• Tell Me It's Not True

In addition to these songs, there are a number of reprises of Shoes Upon The Table throughout the performance.

---

Morales and Meanings to the Story

• Nature Or Nurture
• Superstition And Class

• Maralin Monroe
• Dancing
• Secrets (Dramatic Irony)

External links

• Official website
• Blood Brothers Audience Reviews & Discounts
• Blood Brothers Fan page
• Willy Russell Fan Page, Includes Blood Brothers Information