The musical has been running since 1983. It started of it production in the Lyric theatre London. Since then it has been running successfully through out the years, in popular demand. The essence of the play that reflects on the reality of life, love and emotions that ties people together, family relations, friendship, violence and importantly the injustice in the society that we live in, make the musical a popular piece that many people can relate to.
The play is put together in a mixture of a moral story that reflects issues, a suitable music and backtracks and lyrics that fit in beautifully. Humour is a necessary ingredient in any successful play or musical, Willy Russell has mixed in a fair amount of humour all the way through to make the play not only heart rendering but also amusing. The narrator, characters, lighting, costumes and interesting entrances and exists bring the play together to form an elaborate musical that has been running successfully through out the years. The story line of the play is an interesting thought and shows an indepth view of the reality of our social and family lives.
“People are governed by fate” This is a ‘well known’ and tried phrase that has been used in plays, musicals and stories since ancient Greek times. It is played as a tragedy that has come down through the ages, and has become well known to be a successful musical and play material. The history of this particular story line brings no surprise to the plays popularity. This is defiantly a positive factor towards the success of the play. Romeo and Juliet is another example for the plays success throughout the ages. This theme was written from an earlier version written by Arthur Brooke as a narrative poem, ‘The tragical history of Romeus and Juliet’.
William Shakespeare reflects, on the doomed lives of the two lovers through fate and social affairs, in the story of Romeo & Julliet. In the case of blood brothers it is a story of two brothers’ lives condemned. Many parallels can be drawn between the two plays in the type of narration and story lines that have been used. In Blood Brothers a narrator is used to provide the necessary background information that is vital to the play. In Romeo and Juliet the chorus gives the vital information e.g.: when they are thinking of each other and comes together in a sonnet.
The play is divided into two acts. Act one deal with the story of the play up to the move and to the age of 14 of the kids. Act two sets the scene till they die. In act 1, come all the humour and enjoyment of childhood. The amusements and the games that children play and the humour has all been fitted into act 1. Act 2 focuses more on the serious adult life’s. Problems such as unemployment, love, support and superstition taking over the life’s of the characters, bring together a strong emotional appeal.
The music plays a very important role in the production of the play. The music and the lyrics sets the atmosphere and gives the background information about the play. The upbeat rhythm gives the good and happy times in the play, where as the slow drum beats gives the bad times in the play. Very upbeat and fast music is used in the scenes where the children are playing and when the families are moving. When it comes to the serious parts and when the narrator speaks very deep and slow rhythmic beats are used. This creates the tension in the play and within the audience.
