A TRAGEDY FORETOLD — AND STILL SHOCKING

Blood Brothers exposes the cruel divide of class and destiny

I walked into the BCA Plaza Theatre in the South End neighborhood of Boston — and left shaken.

To start, the lights come up to reveal two bodies lying before me, so close I could reach out and touch them. Welcome to Blood Brothers, the rarely produced musical with book, music and lyrics by Willy Russell (Educating Rita), based on his short play, and brought to life by director Audrey Seraphin, who does a phenomenal job with a show that covers the emotional spectrum. Separated at birth may be a familiar theme — nature versus nurture — yet here it’s told in a completely different way; I mean, how many shows open where we know the tragic outcome? Theater UnCorked’s production leans into the gritty style of the score, more emotion-driven, working-class folk-opera storytelling than splashy spectacle.

Chris Edwards, Sehnaz Dirik

Fraternal twins, Eddie and Mickey, are born to an exhausted but loving, very fertile mother of seven, who is persuaded by her wealthy and childless employer to give Eddie away to raise as her own, while the impoverished Mrs. Johnstone, whose husband has left her, keeps the other boy Mickey raising him in poverty. The boys meet as eight-year-olds, and upon discovering they share a birthday, decide to become best friends — “blood brothers” — after pressing their bleeding fingers together. Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, Eddie’s adoptive upper-class parents, then move away, separating the boys again, only for fate to reunite them when both families land in the same neighborhood.

Zach Fuller, Michael Mazzone, and Lauren Casey

Linda is the girl, then woman, behind the man, or rather men. Mickey was in love with her, but feared saying anything. After coaching from Eddie, Mickey actually wins fair maiden, and she becomes pregnant shortly after, so they had to get married — the way it was in those times (the play begins in the 60s and ends in 1981). Mickey then attempts to help Sammy, Mickey’s older troublemaking brother, commit an armed robbery, but fails and ends up in prison where he’s put on anti-depressants and later released. It is the common love for Linda that leads to the twins dying in seemingly fateful circumstances.

Sehnaz Dirik and Michael Mazzone

The brothers, Michael Mazzone as Mickey and Zach Fuller as Eddie, are almost polar opposites, with Mickey being the domineering alpha male, and Eddie being gentler and more sensitive. The actors prove highly skilled when the twins seem to switch personality traits in the second act with Eddie becoming the strong leader, while Mickey is now the uncertain, medicated soul. We learn of Mickey’s insecurity through his heartbreaking question — why didn’t they choose me? Lauren Casey plays Linda with a certain sweetness while providing Mickey with strength, understanding, and a backbone when he seems to need it the most.

Michael Mazzone and the cast

Sehnaz Dirik beautifully plays the mother with enormous heart, full of tenderness, love, and concern for her children, as well as for her fellow townspeople. With a gorgeous voice, Dirik provides the heartbeat for the entire evening. As Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, James Honaker and Janet Pohli are the perfect combination of entitlement, snootiness, and parental concern. Rohan Misra plays Sammy with charm and just enough sliminess that you know not to fully trust him. I save the “best” for last, tough to do with a perfect cast: Chris Edwards plays the Narrator — the darkly omniscient storyteller who pushes fate along — with a strong, wonderfully commanding voice. Providing an extra character when needed, he interprets both song and story regally, magnificent and dignified.

Zach Fuller and Janet Pohli

The design team adds a touch of realism to life in a small town while creating the perfect illusion of a different time and place: sets by Leonard Chase and lights by Erik Fox and Amber Kovacs have you feeling as if you were part of the town with the hills, fields and houses; costume designer Richard Itczak and costume coordinator Anna Silva  create wearable artwork that fits perfectly with the time and place. Allison Olivia Choat deftly handles intimacy and fight direction so emotional and physical clashes feel true. The music director is Gina Naggar, with the sound by Tim Rose, and mic coordination by Ken Tucci ensures every lyric and whispered secret is heard — vital in a show built on what people hide. Audrey Johnson offers fitting and expressive choreography, which provides emotional rest during a highly emotional show.

Blood Brothers is raw, devastating, and deeply human. I feel extremely lucky to have seen this stirring production from Theatre Uncorked.

The cast

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photos by Gary Ng

Blood Brothers
Theater UnCorked
Boston Center for the Arts, Plaza Black Box Theatre, 539 Tremont St.
ends on November 23, 2025
for tickets ($47), visit Theater UnCorked

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