Oxford Playscripts: Blood Brothers

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Russell says that his work was based on a one-act play that he read as a child "about two babies switched at birth . However, as they get older, the huge difference in their backgrounds pulls them apart and eventually leads to their tragic deaths. Edward 'Eddie' Lyons, Mickey's twin brother who was given away by Mrs Johnstone, and brought up by Mrs Lyons; he becomes blood brothers with Mickey (his actual brother). David Kramer adapted and directed the South African version in 2012, which he set in District Six, a predominantly Coloured inner-city residential area in Cape Town during the Apartheid era, with black cast members.

While talking with Mrs Lyons, she mentions she's found out she's carrying twins, but can only afford to raise one more child. Distraught over Eddie and Linda's 'affair,' Mickey grabs the gun that Sammy hid before he got arrested and storms down to the council offices to confront Eddie ("Madman"), who is giving a speech as Mickey storms in with the gun.During their journey to schoolת Sammy, Mickey's older brother, pretends to be 14 to get a cheaper bus ticket. The story of the twin brothers separated at birth, who grow up to be friends and eventually dying on the same day is discussed through interviews with the characters.

The Broadway production of Blood Brothers opened on April 25, 1993 at the Music Box Theatre, where it ran for over two years.

In 2013 Blood Brothers was produced by the Harvest Rain Theatre Company of Brisbane playing the Cremorne Theatre 3–17 August: directed by Tim O'Connor, the production featured Amanda Muggleton in the role of Mrs. Johnstone has the twins, and names the two children Michael (known as Mickey throughout the play) and Edward, but then regrets having agreed to give one away ("Easy Terms"). Mickey has now developed a crush on Linda, who is obviously interested in him too, but Mickey does not know how to approach her and is embarrassed by her honesty to being attracted to him.

The Winter of Discontent of 1979, during which labor unions led strikes against pay caps meant to stimulate economic recovery, would certainly have been on Russell’s mind as he wrote his musical. The Ruppeldtová adaptation of "Pokrvní bratia" was produced at the Jonáš Záborský Theatre [ cs] in Prešov for a fifteen performance run premiering 21 September 2012 over which Svetlana Janišová played the role of Johnstonová.Mickey is persuaded to assist his brother Sammy, who now engages in criminal acts, in a robbery, to earn money to support Linda and their baby daughter Sarah.

They both fall in love with the same girl, causing a rift in their friendship and leading to the tragic death of both brothers. The revival of Blood Brothers on the West End ran for twenty-four years, making it the third-longest running musical in the history of the UK. The bond continues when the boys are teenagers and both live in the countryside, despite them both being in love with Mickey’s neighbour Linda.Others include ‘Kids’ Game’, ‘Bright New Day’, ‘Shoes Upon the Table’, ‘Long Sunday Afternoon/My Friend’ and the emotional closing song, ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’, again sung by Mrs. The three are caught attempting to throw stones through a window by a police officer, and escorted home. The inaugural Australian production of Blood Brothers premiered August 1988 at the York Theatre in Sydney where it ran for three months: the cast included Chrissy Amphlett as Mrs Johnstone, Bob Baines as the Narrator, Zoe Carides as Linda, Peter Cousens as Edward and Russell Crowe as Mickey. Its director believed that the universal themes of the piece would be instantly relatable to South African audiences.