characters but he was much more involved and not separated, as the Greek chorus were. The Greek chorus usually stayed as part of the
chorus or on the side of the stage. They knew everything about the characters and sometimes they could see into the future like in ‘Blood Brothers’ when the narrator was preparing the audience for what was
going to come next in throughout the play. They usually spoke the beginning and end of the play. He narrated the beginning of the play to set the scene and at the end he was the last one to speak before they in ‘Blood Brothers’ case this was just after the twins died.
In act 1 scene 1 the narrator is a storyteller. He also sounds, very negative in what he is saying as he says ‘ Brother parted from brother’ ‘Wrenched apart’ ‘A stone in the place of a heart’ which is negative. His mother gave him away because she didn’t think she would be able to cope and also because of money as well as her other seven children. I feel that the narrator is being very harsh because the way he says ‘A stone in the place of a heart’ but she knew that she might be able to cope with one more children but not with two as it’s only her to look after them. I don’t think its good that the narrator manipulates the characters minds as it is coming away from the tradition so I don’t think that’s a good idea because as soon as one thing changes they change everything.
In this scene Act 1 scene 3 ‘the shoes the shoes…’ ‘What’s wrong with them’ ‘on. On the table take them off… take them off’ ‘oh god you never put new shoes on a table Miss Lyons. You never know what might happen.’ The narrator is forcing the idea of superstitions and it makes the audience wonder if it will have any effects, as it appears to.
Eventually he is also trying to enforce that as she was not very well educated and believe in superstition like that but as the educated ones know more and are better off so they don’t believe in as much superstition
as them. The narrator appears to be working in Mrs Lyons favour and against the mother.
In act 1 scene 6 the narrator informs the audience he has also set up his plan on controlling the families, that the mother reminding the audience of the decision and is regretting giving her baby away, ‘ The debt’ makes it sound like it’s a business deal and is also a metaphor, ‘ Paid’ those words are both cold. The narrator is also blaming the mother for giving her child away.
I think that it is her fault for giving her child but at the end of the day she knew she wouldn’t be able to cope with any more children so she had to
do something. The narrator’s main role throughout the show is to act as a constant reminder to us of the brother’s tragic fate for example ‘Shoes upon the table’ which is repeated throughout both acts of the show.
In Act 2 scene 1 the narrator makes this scene particularly eerie. The idea of the devil being there all the time indicates something terrible might happen. Here he is playing the part of the devil ‘there’s no use clutching at your rosary, the Devils in the back yard, he can see thought the gaps in the curtains he sees it all, there’s no use in hiding in the hall. When he raps at the knocker then he knows you’re in; No you wont no you’ll never get away from him. This raises an evil issue as he’s everywhere. The last two
lines ‘No you won’t, No you’ll never get away from him.’ Is an eerie writing that is repeated for even more effect.
From Act 2 scene 11 we notice from the first two lines that there is repetition. The only difference is of the back yard working – class garden
middle class. ‘Devil in your bones getting into your ghostly running away from someone you can run hide but he’ll always find you when he rings at
the chimes’ it builds up tension as he is saying that you will never get away from the devil even if you run hide he’ll always find you and is also showing the ghostly side of him, and again the idea of the negative within the play.
From Act 4 Scene 1 we notice the narrator in a positive light as he comments ’The summers never ever going to end’ ‘ The devil is hardly visible’. There is not much evidence of negative. The narrator also makes the audience happy which also makes the m unprepared for what is coming.
In Act 4 scene 2 there is as difference as the social class has divided them because Mickey wanted to work but Eddie has a lot of money and doesn’t have to work which causes frustration for Mickey. Again the narrator hints at the idea that the social class division may lead to a negative outcome.
In this scene (Act 4 scene 3) Mickey is offered a job from Eddie but refuses it and is sad because he cannot find one himself, the feels that he has lost the sense of pride. Again this gives the audience even more clue that because of this Mickey and Eddie will be torn apart even more.
In Act 5 scene 1 Linda got Mickey and Eddie takes over his fathers business. Gradually throughout the play the narrator is not warning +
predicting but gradually taking over the whole character by being within that character.
If I was the director I would dress the narrator in black as that is a dark colour and also can represent the negativity in the play. But I would also
dress him in a lighter colour like yellow to show the happier side of the narrator.
I would make him dress in red to show the devil side of him or give him a red fork so show that there is also a devil with in him when he is manipulating the characters to do bad things or talking in a cold tone.
I’d also consider putting him at a higher status I would make him stand on the balcony or on staging blocks as he seems to be controlling the families but I would also ask him to walk around so he would be in with the cast to show the equality in status at times.
He would have a deep voice as many people see god as having a deep voice and as he is controlling the families and is a higher status and people see god to be in the sky.
My narrator would appear at the beginning and at the end of the play. He would also appear to sing with the characters so he will be interacting with the characters. He would also be standing on the balcony at the side when he would be controlling the families I would also want him to interact with the characters as I want him walking around in between the characters when they are frozen and he is explaining to the audience what is happening.
For the body language if I was showing the bad side of him I would make him stand in one place at a higher status staring down at the characters
but if he’s in a good mood I want him walking around interacting with the characters.
I would also give him a strong accent as many people perceive god to have a strong accent and a deep voice. He will also talk loud as that’s how many people see god.
Conclusion
The understanding of the narrator has helped me to analyse this dramatic technique by setting the scene, also explaining to the audience what is going on. I found it particularly useful to be able to compare the Blood Brothers narrator with the original Greek narrator and this produced me with even more understanding.
By Zara Iqbal
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