Blood Brothers

Blood Brothers is coming to Hull New Theatre from 31 March to 4 April, a short run that brings one of the most recognisable names in British theatre to the city. It's a Willy Russell classic that tells the story of twins separated at birth who grow up on opposite sides of the tracks and meet again with tragic consequences, and it's become one of the most successful shows in British theatre.

It didn't start in a big theatre, though. It began as a play performed at a Liverpool comprehensive school in 1981, before opening at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983. Bill Kenwright's production eventually surpassed 10,000 performances in London's West End, and the musical has since triumphed across the globe, with sell-out seasons in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan. It picked up four awards for Best Musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway, and it returned to the West End in 2023 with Sheridan Smith.

Russell is one of the country's leading contemporary dramatists, and Blood Brothers is just one of his well-known titles. He also wrote Educating Rita, which became a film starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters, and Shirley Valentine, with Pauline Collins and Tom Conti. If you've seen either of those, you'll recognise the same kind of voice at work here.

It's a short visit, running from 31 March to 4 April at Hull New Theatre, so if you're planning to catch it, you'll want to pick your date early.