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Blood Brothers: the plot
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Willy Russell's musical tells of twins separated at birth and raised in different social classes in Liverpool. The play opens with their deaths, so we watch how it happens.
Act 1: separation and friendship
Mrs Johnstone, a poor single mother, cleans for the wealthy, childless Mrs Lyons. Expecting twins she cannot afford, she agrees to give one to Mrs Lyons.
Mrs Lyons invents a superstition: if the twins ever learn the truth, they will both die.
Mickey (Johnstone) and Edward (Lyons) meet aged seven and become 'blood brothers'. Mrs Lyons moves away to stop them meeting.
Mrs Lyons invents a superstition: if the twins ever learn the truth, they will both die.
Mickey (Johnstone) and Edward (Lyons) meet aged seven and become 'blood brothers'. Mrs Lyons moves away to stop them meeting.
Act 2: growing apart
The Johnstones are rehoused in the countryside, where the boys meet again as teenagers. Both like Linda.
Edward goes to university. Mickey loses his factory job, marries a pregnant Linda, and is drawn by his brother Sammy into a robbery in which a man is shot.
In prison Mickey becomes depressed and dependent on pills.
Edward goes to university. Mickey loses his factory job, marries a pregnant Linda, and is drawn by his brother Sammy into a robbery in which a man is shot.
In prison Mickey becomes depressed and dependent on pills.
The ending
Linda turns to Edward, now a councillor. Mrs Lyons tells Mickey.
Mickey confronts Edward with a gun. Mrs Johnstone reveals they are twins. Mickey shoots Edward, and the police shoot Mickey.
The Narrator asks whether class or superstition is to blame.
Mickey confronts Edward with a gun. Mrs Johnstone reveals they are twins. Mickey shoots Edward, and the police shoot Mickey.
The Narrator asks whether class or superstition is to blame.
Why does Russell show the twins' deaths at the start?
- The audience knows the ending from the opening.
- Attention moves from what happens to why it happens.
- This makes us look for causes, such as class.
Answer: So the audience focuses on why the tragedy happens, especially the role of class.
Twins separated, blood brothers at seven, teenage reunion and Linda, Edward to university while Mickey loses his job and goes to prison, Linda and Edward's affair, and the double death.
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