“So…have you heard the story of the Johnstone twins?
As alike each other as two new pins
Of one womb born on the self-same day
How one was kept and one given away….”
From its opening lines, Blood Brothers declares itself as a story made for the stage—a tale designed to be lived in the flesh, close enough for the audience to feel the spit, sweat, laughter and tears of its characters. Willy Russell’s modern classic doesn’t simply tell a story; it drags you into the grit and struggles of working-class Liverpool, while reminding us that childhood innocence and a mother’s fears transcend class.
Set against the backdrop of post-war 1960s Liverpool and spanning into the 1970s and 80s, this tragedy of the Johnstone twins - separated at birth and raised in starkly different social worlds - remains a powerful exploration of fate, class division and the human longing for connection.
Written in the early 1980s, the show refuses to sugarcoat reality. It peels back the veneer of polite society, giving us theatre that feels raw, untamed and unashamed to shout, swear, laugh and rage. From the wide-eyed play of childhood to the crushing responsibilities of adulthood, it captures the messy chaos of growing up and the brutal consequences of choices made long ago.
Of course, a story of this scale only breathes when its characters do - and in this production, the cast is extraordinary. Playing a character from age seven through to adulthood is no small challenge, yet Sean Jones (Mickey) and Joe Sleight (Eddie) hold the audience in the palms of their hands. Their journey—from innocent games and forbidden friendships to first love, class conflict and eventual heartbreak - is astonishingly convincing. They balance comedy and tragedy with the ease of a pendulum swing.
Vivienne Carlyle’s Mrs. Johnstone is a revelation. With a voice that carries both warmth and anguish, she embodies the impossible choices and relentless guilt of a mother torn in two. Her performance lingers long after the curtain falls, her eyes alone telling stories of love and loss. As a twin mum myself, I felt a particular pang watching her—imagining the unshakeable shadow of grief and regret that trails her every step. Carlyle makes you feel those shadows, too.
Rather than relying on glittering showstoppers, the music feels purposeful, always driving the narrative forward. The songs give voice to anger, longing and despair. One of the most striking devices is the recurring invocation of Marilyn Monroe. More than a cultural reference, she becomes a symbolic anchor, linking the twins’ contrasting worlds: one of glamour, wealth and privilege; the other of hardship, heartache and decline. Just as with Monroe herself, beauty and tragedy prove inseparable—mirroring the fate of the Johnstone twins.
What makes Blood Brothers remarkable is how it continues to speak to audiences today. The themes - class inequality, family, fate versus free will - remain as relevant as ever. And yet, for all its political undercurrents, it is the raw humanity of the characters that lingers: flawed, desperate, hopeful and heartbreakingly real.
Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers has been moving audiences for 45 years, and in Nottingham it felt as alive as ever. That standing ovation at the curtain call was the release of everything the audience had carried with them through the show. A musical with both heart and teeth, Blood Brothers remains an unforgettable experience-one that leaves you haunted long after the final gunshot.
Blood Brothers plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal until Saturday 13 September 2025.
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