Blood Brothers
Willy Russell’s musical Blood Brothers is set to close this October after more than two decades in the West End. Royal Theatre

The long-running musical, Blood Brothers is set to close at the Phoenix Theatre on 27 October after more than two decades in the West End.

With more than 10,000 performances notched up, Willy Russell's hugely successful production is the third longest running musical to ever play in the West End.

The award-winning musical, which started as a school play, made its debut in the West End in April 1983 at the Lyric Theatre but closed later that year.

The current production opened in 1988 at the Albery (now the Noël Coward) before transferring to the Phoenix in 1991.

Stars over the years have included Barbara Dixon, Antony Costa, Kiki Dee, Melanie Chisholm and Niki Evan. The show has played on Broadway and across America.

A spokesperson for Bill Kenwright Ltd, the production company behind the hit, said: "This is the end of a chapter but by no means the end of Blood Brothers."

The musical tells the story of the Johnstone twins who are separated at birth and end up at different ends of the social spectrum before they are reunited by fate.