Act 1 Summary of Blood Brothers

Below is a list of the main characters, along with a brief description, to help you navigate the play:

• Mrs Johnstone: The biological mother of the twins, Mickey and Edward. She struggles financially and makes the painful decision to give one of her twins to Mrs Lyons in hopes of providing a better life for him.

• Mickey: The twin who grows up with Mrs Johnstone in a less privileged, working-class environment. He befriends Edward and becomes romantically involved with Linda as he grows older.

• Edward (Eddie): The twin who is adopted by the Lyons family and raised in a wealthy environment. He becomes good friends with Mickey and later develops feelings for Linda.

• Mrs Lyons: A wealthy woman who is unable to have children. She persuades Mrs Johnstone to give her one of the twins, and raises Edward as her own.

• Mr Lyons: Mrs Lyons’ husband, who is mostly unaware of the agreement between his wife and Mrs Johnstone. He spends a lot of his time working.

• Linda: A neighbour and friend of Mickey’s who plays a pivotal role in the relationship dynamics between the two brothers, especially as they grow older.

• Sammy: Mickey’s older brother, portrayed as a troublemaker. He doesn’t have the same close bond with Edward that Mickey does.

• The Narrator: Often serves as the voice of fate or conscience. He provides insights, foreshadows events and comments on the actions of the characters.

• Policeman: Represents the differing attitudes of society towards the working and upper classes. His interactions with the two families differ based on their social status.

Now let’s take a look at the play.

Introduction and Background

The musical opens with a prologue in which the narrator tells the tragic tale of two twins separated at birth. They only become aware that they are twins on the day they die. We then briefly see the deaths of Mickey and Edward.

Mrs Johnstone’s Challenges

Mrs Johnstone, a thirty-year-old mother who looks much older, sings about how her husband had charmed her as a young woman, but then left once she’d had seven children with “one more nearly due.” We see her hardship as the narrator, now in the role of a milkman, demands overdue money and her children complain of hunger. She tries to reassure them all that she will soon start a new job and so her financial difficulties will be eased.

She goes to work as a cleaner for the Lyons, a wealthy couple. Mrs Lyons tells of how her husband is working away for several months. She also explains that they have tried to have children, but have been unable to do so, and Mr Lyons is against the idea of adoption.

Mrs Johnstone finds out that she is having twins, and tells Mrs Lyons of her worries about how she will support them. Realising an opportunity that would benefit them both, Mrs Lyons suggests that she takes one of the babies, pretending to have given birth herself, which would take place before her husband returns. Mrs Johnstone is reluctant at first, but is persuaded when promised that she could see the child every day when working in the Lyons’ house. They agree to the secret pact by swearing on a bible not to reveal the truth to anyone.

After the birth, we see debt collectors again pressuring Mrs Johnstone for payment. Mrs Lyons chooses the baby she wants (whom she names Edward) and Mrs Johnstone tells her children that the other twin died.

Mr Lyons returns, and the Lyons become a family. However, Mrs Lyons feels threatened by the attention that Mrs Johnstone gives to baby Edward, so she sacks her, claiming that her work has deteriorated. Mrs Johnstone tries to take Edward with her, but Mrs Lyons makes threats about the trouble she will face for having sold a baby. She also plays on Mrs Johnstone’s superstitious fears by claiming:

“they say that if either twin learns that he was once a pair, they shall both immediately die.”

Mrs Lyons

The Twins’ Separate Worlds

The scene moves forward in time, and Mickey – the twin who stayed with the Johnstones – is now seven years old. Mickey is shown to be frustrated that his mother won’t let him play with the “hooligans” down one end of their neighbourhood, nor the wealthier area near the park.

In a bored mood outside his house, he stumbles across Edward. The two of them immediately bond, initially over sweets and the swear words that Mickey uses and teaches to Edward. When they realise that they have the same birthday, they decide to become “blood brothers”, drawing blood from their hands before putting them together. Mickey’s brother Sammy comes along, behaves rudely towards them, and calls Edward a “friggin’ poshie”. Then Mrs Johnstone comes out and is shocked when she realises who Edward is, telling him never to come near their house again.

Family Dynamics and Emotional Climax

We see tension in the Lyons’ house as Edward’s father spends so much of his time working, which distresses Mrs Lyons. When Mickey calls around for Edward, Mrs Lyons realises who he is and sends him away. She bans Edward from seeing “boys like that”, and during an argument, she hits Edward after he swears at her.

In the next scene, there is a play gunfight with several children including Mickey, Sammy, and their neighbour Linda. After an argument with Sammy, Linda defends Mickey, and she comforts him after he is upset about being killed in the game.

The two of them go past Edward’s house, and Mickey calls him out to play. After a brief hesitation, Edward sneaks out and they go to the park to shoot an air pistol. When Mrs Lyons realises her son is missing, she becomes frantic with worry and calls her husband home. He becomes frustrated by her worrying, suggesting she sees a doctor about her “nerves”.

A policeman catches the three children as they are about to throw stones at a house. Although he warns Mrs Johnstone about the serious consequences should Mickey do this again, he tells Mr Lyons that it was merely a “prank.” Afterwards, Mr Lyons tells Edward about the idea, as suggested by Mrs Lyons, that they should move away.

Parting Ways and New Beginnings

Edward visits Mickey’s house to say goodbye because the Lyons have decided to relocate to the countryside. After seeing Edward upset about leaving his friend, Mrs Johnstone gives him a locket with a picture of Mickey as a baby inside. Edward gives Mickey a toy gun as a parting gift.

Mickey and Edward separately mourn the loss of their friendship. Then, a delighted Mrs Johnstone receives a letter saying that the family have been rehoused to the countryside.