There are not many theatre enthusiasts in the United Kingdom that has not heard of the musical Blood Brothers. It is based roughly on the Corsican Brothers, written in 1844 by Alexandre Dumas. The modern musical has been updated for the contemporary audience, and the players need not return to another century in order to move the plot. Although the play was originally shown in West Side in 1983, approaching twenty years ago, it is experiencing a revival and is already a kingdom classic.
To be precise, its revival began in 1988, and it has been running continuously at one theater or another since. It took several years to catch on, but critics have slowly warmed up to its subtle merits. A major playing troupe has been on tour for the past few years, and it still draws crowds. It is easily the longest-running musical in history. It appeared only once in the Colonies, during a 1994 tour. Yanks might pass through fads too quickly to notice a good script, but the British have long revered indigenous genius.
The plot of the play revolves around class differences and the tension that can arise in a family when one member does well and another is socially destroyed. A mother-to-be, Mrs. Johnstone, begs her employer for help because her husband left her and she cannot take care of impending twins. Mrs. Lyons agrees to help by taking one of the infants. The twin brothers grow up in separate households, and are unaware they are brothers even though they live in the same town. Mrs. Johnstone conceals the fact out of shame, telling her older children that one of the twins died.
Though raised separately, the twins become involved with each other on several occasions, starting with Mrs. Johnstone’s unavoidable interest in the growing child. Mrs. Lyons becomes uncomfortable with this and relieves the natural mother of her position. Mrs. Lyons also plays on a superstition and says that if separated twins meet, they will both die. In spite of this lost connection, the growing children meet each other on their own and note they both have the same birthday.
One is given an education and inherits valuable social connections. The other is raised under humble means, but with no real opportunities for advancement. He becomes involved in a failed bank robbery and ends spending seven years in jail. When the two brothers meet again, it is a confrontation, and both brothers accidentally die, fulfilling the superstition. The theme, announced by a narrator, questions the role social class had in the tragedy.
