Blood Brothers

Advantages: The best musical I have ever seen
Disadvantages: None whatsoever

...Blood Brothers is a fantastic musical that has been around for over 20 years and is still as popular as ever. I have now seen it 5 times and cant wait to go again its that good. Book, lyrics and music are all by Willy Russell. Plot is centred around the working class Johnstone family with Mrs Johnstone becoming a single parent quite soon into the story as her husband leaves her with a brood of children. To feed her family Mrs Johnstone gets a job at the upper class Lyons household as a cleaner and is a big hit. Soon after she realises she is pregnant with twin boys and cant possibly afford to bring up another two children. Mrs Lyons however is desperate for a child and unable to get pregnant so offers to 'buy the baby. Reluctantly Mrs Johnson agrees and the deal is done. The story follows the children growing up and one day they...

bexx0907 24.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

Blood Brothers

Advantages: Has many important themes to learn about
Disadvantages: None

...and Mickey and Eddie become 'Blood Brothers' again. Without giving too much away, that is the main plot of the play. There are prominent themes such as superstition, class, humour, and dreams. It is a brilliant play to learn about many aspects of life and how people can be pre-judged because of class. I really enjoyed reading the play, even after having studied it in great detail and reading it hundreds of times. Although a sad ending it is a brilliant play throughout and never a dull moment. There are lots of little stories in the play which always keep you interested. Even though it tells you the ending at the start, you still don't expect it and it is not at all predictable. I especially like the way Russell compares and contrasts the two classes whilst Eddie and Mickey are at school. It really brings humour into the play as you...

Jojo14 06.08.2007 (07.08.2007) · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

"Once is never enough"

Advantages: An fab musical!!
Disadvantages: N/A

...Blood Brother?s ?Once is never enough? Author: Willy Russell; Director: Bob Tomson; Producer: Bill Kenwright Ltd; Cast includes: Lyn Paul (Mrs Johnston) Philip Stewart (Narrator) Stephen Palfreman (Mickey), Mark Hutchinson (Eddie), Sarah Hay (Mrs Lyons), Louise Clayton (Linda), Stephen Pallister (Mr Lyons), Daniel Taylor (Sammy), Grant Aylward (PC/Teacher), Louis Tamone (Perkins), Louise Russell (Donna Marie), Alex Harland (Bus Conductor), Emily Buck (Brenda), James Templeton (Neighbour). Blood Brothers is an emotional, compelling musical, beautiful songs entwined with a heart wrenching story. I have seen this musical 5 times and I never fail to leave in tears! Song List: 1. Marilyn Monroe 2. My Child 3. Easy Terms 4. Shoes Upon The Table 5. Kids Game 6. Shoes Upon The Table (reprise) 7. Long Sunday...

LIZKEMPO 09.01.2004 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

Good show but know what to expect

Advantages: Good music, good story
Disadvantages: nothing really worth mentioning

...by now, Blood Brothers is the story of 2 sons who were separated at birth but became best friends despite their different upbringings. One son (the one kept by their mother) is brought up in a run down area of Liverpool and struggles to make ends meet. The other son is brought up by a wealthy family in Liverpool and never goes wanting for anything. The story tells of their journey through their early life and how, despite both kids parents not wanting them to be friends and their different upbringings, all the kids want to do is play and have no real care for their parents issues. As the story goes on and the kids get older, so do the supporting cast and this plays a big part in the development of the relationships between the main characters. When the kids become 18 years old is when they really change and each one is given their...

mynameisrui 07.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

Take a Letter Miss Jones...the news is good.

Advantages: A powerful piece of live theatre
Disadvantages: None

...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 big heart and a story that shamelessly manipulates your emotions - and hoorah I say to that too. The plot has been well documented in other reviews and revolves around issues of class and the nature vs nuture debate. As we laugh at the adult actors tumbling about as children, and smile as they grow into insecure teenagers, we also feel their growing pains and experience the opposing...

dazzlair 17.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

Say it's just a story

Advantages: A great play
Disadvantages: The text alone isn't enough - go and see it!

...Despite how many schools insist that pupils read plays, a play is not a written work, it is intended for performance. However, the factors involved in putting on a performance are many and varied and part of the magic of theatre is that no two shows will be identical. For this reason, although a review may give a good indication of the experience of a show, it's no reliable guideline for how well the show will be received by future audiences. It is, therefore, a valid exercise to review the text objectively. Willy Russell's Blood Brothers is excellent when performed well on stage. Whilst reading the play will leave a more shallow impression, if it's the only exposure you're likely to get then it's worth the effort to read it. Over the last decade or two it has been accepted as an exam text and studied at GCSE level and it stands up...

hawkida 22.02.2004 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

Superstition mixed with humor.

Advantages: Characters and the jokes in it.
Disadvantages: Music, and some of the storyline is slightly tedious.

...I went to see blood brothers at the theatre at christmas, and I thought the play was great. I had read Educating Rita in school, which I don't think is all that amazing, but I prefered this storyline. It's not only funny and amusing, but sad and upsetting. It really touches all your emotions. The basic storyline is about a women who gives up one of the twins she has to the rich women she works with. She has to give up her child, because she can't afford it. Throughout the play you follow the twins storys and love lives. The twins, naturally meet, and they fall in love with the same girl. Minnie, the girl they fancy, loves the poorer twin, and eventually they get married. But then, trying to make money for his family, the poorer twin gets sent to prison. Once out of prison hee suffers severe bouts of depression. Naturally Minnie turns...

jeocar 21.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

Did you ever hear the story of the Johnstone twins

Advantages: Great singing, acting and of course story
Disadvantages: Nothing

...- Narrator 5. Kids Game ? All children 6. Long Sunday Afternoon - Mickey and Eddie 7. My Friend ? Mickey and Eddie 8. Bright New Day ? Mrs Johnstone and children 9. That Guy - Mickey and Eddie 10. Summer Sequence ? Narrator with Mickey, Eddie and Linda 11. I'm Not Saying A Word ? Eddie and Linda 12. Take a Letter Miss Jones ? Mr Lyons, Miss Jones and Narrator 13. Light Romance ? Mrs Johnstone and Narrator 14. Madman ? Mrs Johnstone and Narrator 15. Tell Me It's Not True ? Mrs Johnstone and cast ***Writer*** Willy Russell wrote the book and lyrics and also composed the all the music by himself ***Something quite clever that I found*** Having seen it three times there were bits that I saw the second or third time round that I didn?t catch at first, the main one being: At the beginning the narrator starts off with ?Did you ever...

Vicki_ER 27.01.2005 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

have you heard the story of the johnstone twins

Advantages: heart gripping and a all round good read
Disadvantages: nothing really

...Blood Brothers was first writen as a school play. It is about two brothers (twins) seperated at birth, one given away to a woman called mre lyons and one kept by the byoligical mother mre johnstone. Mrs lyons is a very serious woman she wont let anyone get in her way if she wants something, she twisted and turned everything mrs johnstone said so she could have one of her babies (Eddie) because she couldn't concive any of her own, while her husband was on a work trip the two women made the "swap", mrs lyons said that mrs johnstone could see the babie at anytime (but she lied) while mre johnstone worked she would fuss over 'her' babie, but mrs lyons started getting annoyed and sacked her then she later told her that selling your babie is a serious offence and handed her £50, she also told her a fake superstition 'if the boy should...

jessiicaa_7 26.05.2008 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell

shoes upon the table

Advantages: Its fantastic, so many emotions
Disadvantages: none, there are no disadvantages

..."Blood Brothers" is the best play i have ever seen or read. I have seen the play performed 7 times and every time was as moving, hillarious, saddening and exciting as the last. When i saw the play for the first time, i wasn't prepared for the masive change of emotions i was about to experience. The play is about two twins seperated at birth as their mother (Mrs Johnston) cannot afford to keep them both. She sells one of the twins (Eddy) to Mrs Lyons the wealthy woman she cleans for and keeps the other (Mickey) who grows up on a council estate where he seems to make the best of his childhood. Mrs Lyons is so concerned about her husband and neighbours finding out about the deal and her reputation being ruined that she decides to take advantage of Mrs Johnstons superstitiousness (if thats a word) by telling her that if either twin...

ShedMonkey 06.10.2001 · Read review
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Review of Blood Brothers - Willy Russell