Blood Brothers

Willy Russell

Bloomsbury Academic, May 10, 2001 - Drama - 101 pages

A Liverpudlian West Side Story: twin brothers are separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. She gives one of them away to wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends in ignorance of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a blood-bath.

'Willy Russell is less concerned with political tub-thumping than with weaving a close-knit story about the working of fate and destiny … it carries one along with it in almost unreserved enjoyment" Guardian

One of the longest-running and most successful ever West End musicals, Blood Brothers premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse in January 1983.

About the author

Willy Russell was born in Whiston near Liverpool and left school at fifteen. He went through a succession of jobs before, at the age of twenty, he decided to take 'O' levels and 'A' levels and become a teacher. At about the same time he saw John McGrath's play Unruly Elements at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, and decided he wanted to become a playwright. His plays include: ONE FOR THE ROAD, STAGS AND HENS, EDUCATING RITA, BLOOD BROTHERS and SHIRLEY VALENTINE.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Blood Brothers; Methuen Modern Classics Series; Methuen drama; Modern Classics
• Author: Willy Russell
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic, 2001
• ISBN: 0413767701, 9780413767707
• Length: 101 pages
• Subjects: Drama / General