On Thursday the 21st November, I was privileged enough to see ‘Blood Brothers’ with my school at The Orchard Theatre in Dartford. Written by Willy Russell, ‘Blood Brothers’ is a play set in 1950-70s Liverpool about two twin brothers parted at birth. The two grow up not knowing that they are related, in different classes resulting in them leading very different lives.
The play explores a variety of themes, including nature vs nurture as during the time in which the play was written (1980s), majority of citizens of specific classes would end up in specific circumstances. Mickey, one of the lead characters, lives a life in the working class, which without spoiling the play too much drives him to a lack of education and recklessness. On the other hand, Edward, Mickey’s secret twin, is nurtured within the middle class, attending a boys’ boarding school and ending up going to university and setting a bright career.
‘Blood Brothers’ was delivered excellently, from the set design to the acting. It was wonderfully performed, exploring the corruption of the class system in 1950s-70s Liverpool. The actors portrayed characters with perfect delivery of lines and emotions. Each character was just as believable (excluding the narrator as he was performed in a more Brechtian style) and I personally got attached to some by the end.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching ‘Blood Brothers’, the entire production being fantastic, and I would definitely recommend it to those wanting to find something entertaining from the theatre. It is also something excellent to watch for people interested in social issues from the past as the compelling plot unfolds the raw surfaces of the class system.
Written by Natalia Hirabe, Nower Hill High School
