Blood Brothers Written by Willy Russell, the The story ‘Blood Brothers’ tracks the lives of twins Mickey and Margaret Thatcher – believed that success legendary Blood Brothers tells Edward. The play is divided into two acts, and has many songs. A came to those who chose to work hard. the captivating and moving tale narrator speaks to the audience at the beginning and throughout Russell contradicts this. He shows a divided of twins who, separated at the play, commenting on the action and setting the scene. society by having Mickey and Edward attend birth, grow up on opposite different schools and live in different houses. sides of the tracks, only to meet Mickeys failure, despite his good character again with fateful and hard work, is the basis of the tragedy in consequences. the play

Willy Russell originally wrote and presented Blood Brothers was written to be performed as a piece of Blood Brothers as a school play in 1982, in conjunction with the Merseyside Young musical theatre. It is ultimately a tragic story but is People’s Theatre. He then wrote a score and interspersed with comedic elements, mainly focused around developed the musical for a production at the the childhood and teenage years of Mickey and Eddie. The Styles – comedy, tragedy,, episodic, Liverpool Playhouse in 1983. play starts by revealing the ending of the story and after this non naturalistic it follows a chronological structure. It spans three decades from the 1950s - 1970s, picking out significant periods in the Themes two brothers’ lives.

Nature nurture The contrast between two different social classes forms the heart of the Social class play. The leading characters can be seen to be social stereotypes, Superstition and fate presented dramatically in order to emphasise certain important differences in social class. Russell does this to show the unfairness that it violence results in.

Superstition is immediately linked to the working class, . By weaving violence into so many moments of his narrative, Willy Russell essentially allows because Mrs Johnstone is superstitious whereas Mrs Lyons the audience to become used to it—and then he depicts a shocking, brutal act of violence in isn’t. This gives Mrs Lyons power over her employee when the final moments of his play. This reminds us that violence always has consequences, and she wants to make sure that Mrs Johnstone doesn’t tell should never be thought of as “normal.” anyone about the twins being split up