Blood Brothers

Blood Brothers, first developed by Willy Russell in 1981 within school workshops, was revamped by Bill Kenwright in 1987 and returned to the West End the following year. It was the first West End revival to be nominated for the Best Musical Revival Olivier Award within two years of winning the Original Best Musical production. It transferred from the Albery to the Phoenix four years later in 1991, where it remains today and has become one of the longest running musicals in the West End Set in working class 1950-60s Liverpool, the context in which Russell himself grew up, the musical deals predominantly with the issue of class. The play's circular ...

Blood Brothers was one of the first musical theatre productions I saw and I was determined not to like it. The reason for this was because my younger sister had seen it before me and had raved about how great it was. Naturally, in the laws that govern brother-sister relationships, this meant I had to dislike it. Blood Brothers is a very difficult show to dislike, so I have to admit defeat as far as that little piece of sibling rivalry went. Initially I saw the touring production in Nottingham but I have since seen it several times at the Phoenix Theatre in London. I don't have a particular fixation with the show, but it is a useful one for GCSE students to ...

Blood Brothers is a musical showing in the West End of London at the Phoenix Theatre on the Charing Cross Road. It is easily reached by tube, the closest stops being either Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road. I visited the theatre on a Tuesday night, and the performance way exceeded my expectations. I never anticipated something quite so stunning and it was clear to me why this show is celebrating 20 years in London. Without giving too much away, the story starts with a scene of two bodies lying on the ground and as the plot unfolds we realise how this happens. Mrs Johnson is a struggling single mother whose life becomes increasingly ...