On 22nd May 2003, we all went to see Blood Brothers for the first time. Blood Brothers was written by Willy Russell and directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, which was performed at the Phoenix Theatre. The play was not a musical; alternatively it was a play with music. There isn’t a lot of difference between a play with music and a musical, the only difference is that Willy Russell thought that a musical is continually based on love in which the songs are romantic and a play with music creates songs with deeper emotions; The lyrics are about the characters lives.
The play was about two twin brothers who were separated at birth and then met up for the first time when they were 7 years old, but they didn’t realise they were related. I thought that the play was made up of 8 themes Class – working class and higher class o Motherly love Life in Liverpool Comedy and tragedy Twins who are separated at birth Love story Superstition From Childhood to Adulthood
For instance, a big part was played by the theme of working class/higher class. I saw this as the two brothers was separated in to these categories; the Working class category was portrayed though Mickey and the higher class by Eddie. This caused them not to understand each other whilst putting their points across about the future of their lives. This was implied, when Mickey tells Eddie that he is going to finish school and get a job in the “Chippy”, whilst Eddie was going to finish school and go to university. They both had there own view. Their class was given to them though fate, and because of fate they were either working class or higher class. A minor difference could result in to a whole different life; the audience realised and were shocked by this when Mickey says, ” I could have been him”. It made me imagine what if Mrs. Johnstone picked up Mickey instead of Eddie; their lives would have been totally the opposite.
The whole play is based on motherly love. Mrs Johnstone is the mother of Eddie and Mickey among lots more children as well. She had to give up Eddie. The only reason Mrs Johnstone gave up Eddie was because she could not afford to feed another mouth. The council would have taken some of Mrs Johnstone’s children and put them in care, so to prevent that from happening she had to give one of her sons away, Eddie. However, she never forgot her son. Alternatively Mrs Lyons looked after Eddie as if it was her own flesh and blood and never told him that he was adopted and never made him feel that way either.
“One was kept, and one given a way.” this is what is said. There was a good reason why Mrs. Johnstone did that, she received no joy in that, she got no pleasure out of it giving her son away either as an alternative she was given grief. The play made it clear to me that when Mrs. Johnstone gave Eddie the locket with her and Mickey photo in it, she hoped and wanted Eddie to remember them and wouldn’t ever forget them. This scene was quite an emotional scene as Mrs. Johnstone was saying goodbye to her son for the second time. It was hard letting go the first time but it illustrate to the audience it was harder the second time because her son knew that this “Lady” was his friend’s mum, not knowing that she was his mum too.
The play was directed using many techniques to demonstrating the director’s points. One of the best techniques he used in the play was the mini nightmare sequence and the narrator sang the song “the devils got your number” standing behind either Mrs. Lyons or Mrs. Johnstone. That created a tensed atmosphere and made the character feels regretful. It also conveyed to me, as a member of the audience that the narrator was the conscience of both of the mothers. However I felt that narrator was more of a devil figure in the play. Because he manly said negative thing and constantly created a pessimistic vibe.
For example I saw both of these characteristics of the narrator come though in a part of a scene. This occurred when Mrs. Lyons refused Eddie to meet Mickey ever again. She looks at the narrator (conscience and devil) and pulled her eyes away, which denoted to me that see was either running away from her conscience or sees the devil within her and ignores the fact that she knows that she is doing something heartless.
