Russell says that his work was based on a one-act play that he read as a child "about two babies switched at birth ... it became the seed for Blood Brothers.

[4] Blood Brothers year-long national tour beginning in 1987, produced by Bill Kenwright (and directed by Kenwright and Bob Tomson), starring Kiki Dee as Mrs Johnstone, Warwick Evans as the Narrator, Con O'Neill as Mickey and Robert Locke as Eddie, leading to a revival at the Albery Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre), directed by Tomson, with the same cast.

[6] The musical transferred to the Phoenix Theatre on 21 November 1991, where it celebrated its 10th anniversary with a gala performance on 28 July 1998, featuring Lyn Paul as Mrs Johnstone, Keith Burns (Narrator) Andy Snowden (Mickey) & Mark Hutchinson (Eddie).

[8] The UK tour continues to present day The central role of Mrs. Johnstone has been played in various productions by, among others, Dee, Angela Richards, Barbara Dickson, Stephanie Lawrence, Clodagh Rodgers, Lyn Paul, Siobhan McCarthy, four of the Nolan sisters (Linda, Bernie, Denise and Maureen), Melanie C (making her West End debut and receiving an Olivier nomination in 2009),[9] Marti Webb, Vivienne Carlyle, Niki Evans,[10] Amy Robbins, Natasha Hamilton,[2] Helen Reddy,[11] Rebecca Storm, Carole King and Petula Clark.

[8] Mickey has been played by O'Neill, Russell Boulter, Stephen McGann, Paul Crosby, Antony Costa, Stefan Dennis, Andy Snowden, David Cassidy and Michael J. Cook among others.

[8] The inaugural Australian production of Blood Brothers premiered August 1988 at the York Theatre in Sydney where it ran for three months: the cast included Chrissy Amphlett as Mrs Johnstone, Bob Baines as the Narrator, Zoe Carides as Linda, Peter Cousens as Edward and Russell Crowe as Mickey.

[12] In 1994 a production of Blood Brothers directed by Bill Kenwright - who had overseen the play in the West End and on Broadway - ran in Melbourne and Sydney in the summer and fall having played dates in Wellington and Auckland NZ that spring: the cast included Stefan Dennis as Mickey, Delia Hannah as Mrs. Johnstone, and David Soul as the Narrator.

[13] Muggleton had previously played Mrs. Johnstone in the Metcalfe Playhouse (Perth) production of Blood Brothers which ran 11 November – 4 December 2011.

[17][18] The production went on to play for three weeks at the Alex Theatre, St Kilda, Melbourne, from 14 July 2015, with Josh Piterman taking over the role of Edward.

Several of the British actors made their Broadway debuts, including Stephanie Lawrence as Mrs. Johnstone, O'Neill as Mickey, Graveson as Linda, Hutchinson as Eddie and Evans as the narrator.

[citation needed] David Kramer adapted and directed the South African version in 2012, which he set in District Six, a predominantly Coloured inner-city residential area in Cape Town during the Apartheid era, with black cast members.

[8][22] "Pokrvní bratia" - "Blood Brothers", adapted in the Czech-Slovak language - has been produced several times in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the inaugural production - adapted into Czech-Slovak by Alexandra Ruppeldtová - premiering in December 1993 at the Nová Scéna Theatre in Bratislava[23] and featuring Soňa Valentová in the role of Johnstonová [i.e. Mrs Johnstone].

[27] "Pokrvní bratia" - as adapted by Fahner - was produced by the Liberec-based F. X. Šalda Theatre [cs] whose engagement premiered 23 March 2007: this production would encore in September 2008 as the inaugural production of the Heineken Tower Stage at Tower 115 in Bratislava, where the F. X. Šalda troupe performed "Pokrvní bratia" over three nights.

Brno City Theatre revived the Novák adaptation for a production which premiered 2 June 2012 for a 25 performance run during which Hana Holišová and Markéta Sedláčková [cs] alternated in the role of Johnstonová.

[28] The Ruppeldtová adaptation of "Pokrvní bratia" was produced at the Jonáš Záborský Theatre [cs] in Prešov for a fifteen performance run premiering 21 September 2012 over which Svetlana Janišová played the role of Johnstonová.

Mrs. Johnstone, surrounded by others, including Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, and the Narrator, is standing over the bodies of Mickey and Eddie and sings “Tell Me It’s Not True” (“Overture”).

Heavily in debt and unable to support her seven children alone, Mrs. Johnstone takes a job as a cleaner for a local upper-middle-class couple, Richard and Jennifer Lyons.

Mrs. Johnstone has the twins, and names the two children Michael (known as Mickey throughout the play) and Edward, but then regrets having agreed to give one away ("Easy Terms").

Mrs. Lyons manipulates her into backing down by playing on her superstitious nature, telling her that "if twins separated at birth learn that they were once one of a pair, they will both immediately die" ("Shoes Upon the Table").

After learning that they share the same birthday, the two boys make a pact to become blood brothers, with Mickey nicknaming Edward "Eddie."

During the early 1970s, the Johnstone family are moved from the condemned inner-city slums of Liverpool to a new council house in the nearby overspill town of Skelmersdale ("Bright New Day").

She grows paranoid, having once thought she had buried the past by moving away, and questions Mrs. Johnstone's presence in their lives ("The Devil's Got Your Number").

Eddie gives Mickey humorously inexperienced advice on how to talk to Linda, and invites him to watch a pornographic film with him to "see how it's done".

An increasingly mentally deranged and paranoid Mrs. Lyons further questions whether she is truly free from Mrs. Johnstone ("Shoes Upon The Table (Reprise)") as Mickey asks his mother for money to see a film while reintroducing Eddie.

Eddie returns at Christmas ready to party and have fun, but Mickey realises that they are now very different; after a small argument, they part.

Mickey is persuaded to assist his brother Sammy, who now engages in criminal acts, in a robbery, to earn money to support Linda and their baby daughter Sarah.

After being informed by Linda of the incident, Mrs. Johnstone runs in and, in an attempt to stop Mickey from shooting Eddie, tells the two brothers the truth.

Mrs. Johnstone rushes to stop him and reveals the truth, which provokes Mrs. Lyons to attempt to shoot Mickey in order to keep her own child.