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Blood Brothers

Brief Description
Blood Brothers by Willy Russell is a 1983 play with music that tells the compelling story of twin brothers separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. One of the twins is given away to the wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow... Read More
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This Student Edition offers contemporary, accessible and vivid insights into the play and the context in which it was written, and conveys how groundbreaking Blood Brothers was at the time as well as looking at direct parallels today.

This Student Edition offers contemporary, accessible and vivid insights into the play and the context in which it was written, and conveys how groundbreaking Blood Brothers was at the time as well as looking at direct parallels today.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Blood Brothers by Willy Russell is a 1983 play with music that tells the compelling story of twin brothers separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. One of the twins is given away to the wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends, unaware of their true relationship, until an inevitable quarrel unleashes a bloodbath.

Following its premiere at the Liverpool Playhouse, the musical has been produced globally and enjoyed a decades-long run in Londonโ€™s West End. It has also extensively toured the UK, captivating audiences with its poignant narrative and musicality.

This revised Student Edition includes a commentary by Rebecca Hillman, providing accessible and vivid insights into the play and the context in which it was written, viewed through a 21st-century lens. It helps us appreciate the play today and highlights how groundbreaking Blood Brothers was at the time, in its representation of working-class lives on stage and its explicit critique of the British class system.

Series: Student Editions

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  • Blood Brothers
    Blood Brothers by Willy Russell is a 1983 play with music that tells the compelling story of twin brothers separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. One of the twins is given away to the wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends, unaware of their true relationship, until an inevitable quarrel unleashes a...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350386198

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 February 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Methuen Drama

Edition: 2nd edition

Contributors:

  • Volume editor Rebecca Hillman

Audience: Primary and secondary education, Adult education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 140g

Pages: 144

About the Author

Willy Russell is a playwright and songwriter, and one of the most-produced writers of his time. His plays and musicals for stage and TV including John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert (1974), Breezeblock Park (1975), One for the Road (1976), Our Day Out (television 1977; stage musical version 1983), Stags and Hens (1978; filmed as Dancin' thru the Dark, 1990), Educating Rita (1979), Blood Brothers (1981; musical version 1983), and Shirley Valentine (1986).

Rebecca Hillman
is Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter, UK. Her research and teaching concerns performance as political activism and agitprop theatre. She focuses on theatre made by activists and trade unions in Britain since the 1960s.

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