Discussing Willy Russells 'Our Day Out'.

Authors Avatar

English Coursework: Our Day Out

The play “Our Day Out” in based around the remedial class of an inner city Liverpool comprehensive. The children are the bottoms of the heap; they are not blessed with a well off families to support them. The two main teachers are Mrs Kay and Mr Briggs who views contrast and contradict each other throughout the play. On this particular day the “remedial class” are of on a school trip hence the title “Our Day Out” to Conway castle in Wales though this is not the only place the children get to see, the play takes us to a variety of different places (due to the fact that it was written for television broadcast).
Russell primary idea may seem just to produce a play that is entertaining and suitable for a television broadcast. Though Russell provides with slice of life realism. I t could have a certain biographical side to it for Russell grew up in a similar area in Liverpool. Although at some points in the play the way Russell writes may seem biased trying to perform our opinions but he actually writes from different viewpoints providing us with an actual insight into the play.
Russell major themes throughout the play are poverty, the lack of education and opportunity available; the social and cultural depravation suffered from living in such an inner-city area. It questions the ethics of bad parenting.

The scenes I have choossen to anylais have great dramic importance to the play they are Kay.
It focuses on a major aspect of the play: the depravation of the children. It proves again to us the yearning of Carol and the attitudes of both teachers. It provides a valuable insight into the play.

Mrs Kay firstly asks Carol why she does not and go and look round the castle. To this Carol relies
”Miss, I don’t like it. It’s horrible.”
At first you might think that she is referring to the castle building although later on in the scene she refers to the castle been a “nice” place. We already know that Carol is not an intellectual girl; she is still unable to read and write at the age of 13.Proving her lack of educational ability is the fact that she mistakes a lake for the see. Even though she is lacking in educational ability she is still aware of her surroundings in Wales and then back at home she is also aware of the differences between them. Though she is unable to express herself due to her low vocabulary and grammar skills. So when she uses the term “It’s horrible” she is actually referring to the fact it’s horrible because she can never have anything that nice back at home. She is resenting the fact that she can never have something as nice as that. For we know she knows that’s he can never have anything nice she ever says why ”cos we’d just smash it up”
We have already scene Mrs Kay been the mother figure for the children because they are unloved and un nurtures at home by their own mother, rather than an actual teacher this is again reinstated when Mrs Kay calls Andrews by his forename like his mum would do.

Russell gives us the reader two different viewpoints Carols’ and Andrews’ though neither one is the correct one.
Russell is basically asking the audience ”What should the council do? Should they give the children something? Or are they right in not giving them something?” Although these questions are cleverly embedded into the text so the audience can still find the play entertaining and that the questions don’t over power the reader and distract from the play itself. Like previously in the zoo we know the kids have never had anything much of their own as belongings or even really to love so that when they decided to take the animals and here again Andrews says if something was his he would defend it. So maybe the children could look after things if they were their own. For we know they don’t respect the councils things for example at the starts of the play there is a reference to the tree’s been chopped down an the area is not well looked after. This section of the scene is then interrupted but the thought provoking question still stays in your head.

Briggs now comes along. The example of bullying on the bus by Rielly and Digga to the younger kids is now mirrored in Mr Briggs behaviour to Carol and Andrews. Where as Mrs Kay and the children is more one level term to the children as an equal. Mr Briggs is commanding them. He shows no respect to them not even using their names they are only referred to as ”You two” or “girl”.
Mr Briggs is describes this day as an “ill-organised affair” The word affair is often more widely used to describe some kind off business, a concern or a love affair. If one of the kids used this word it would be because of there poor language and that they have used this word because don’t fully understand its meaning. Though Mr Briggs is educated and he knows the meaning of this word. It is his option of this day, which can be summed up as Mr Briggs having a negative opinion. This view differs Mrs Kay who describes this day as a trip meaning a voyage, a journey or an excursion. Which Is more of a positive one
Mr Briggs describes the day as a shambles though this again is only his option he is seeing it as a shambles, Mrs Kay is not blind to what the children are doing she just see the matter in a different light.
Again Mr Briggs is thinking of the school as a respectable organisation asking what must the castle authorities think. He also is referring to the kids as animals again.
Mrs Kay comes out with a placid answer unlike Mr Briggs how is angrily shouting.
The castle is described but Mrs Kay to be “a crumbling pile of brick and mortar” but Mrs Kay then describes it from the children’s view as a “field of heaven”. Heaven is often classified as the best place in the world, the place everyone really dreams of going to. So therefore in the children’s opinion this is really good place the best because they come from a really deprived background. Russell is again bringing up the whole fact that they are deprived. He is also making you genuinely feel sorry for these kids.

Mr Briggs is seeing the children on an opposing side to him, the side of the teachers. When really it shouldn’t be about sides. Mrs Kay herself says she is on the same side as the pupils. But here again we have the contrasting views of Mrs Kay and Mr Briggs like an ongoing war.

Mr Briggs is classifying this whole trip as chaos and asks Mrs Kay how she is going to stop it. But Mrs Kay does not see it as chaos so she has nothing to stop.

Mr Briggs regards Mrs Kay attitude to be a fine one for the teaching profession, but is he necessarily right because Mrs Kay methods and views of teaching vary from Mr Briggs. And equally Mr Briggs attitude could be a fine one for the teaching profession. Russell again is asking the audience who is right out of Mr Briggs and Mrs Kay but Russell himself doesn’t pick a right one out for us.

Russell again starts to ask us the audience another question again giving us two defendant viewpoints. This time Russell is really trying to get us to decide which option is correct Mrs Kay or Mr Briggs is it chaos or not? Is Mrs Kay right in the fact there they are never going to solve the problem, that they are rejects, and is she right in saying that they are rejects? Is Mr. Briggs believes that the point of a school trip is to learn and benefit from the knowledge that you see around you. When he is arguing with Mrs. Kay in the cliff, she says to him, "There's no point pretending that a day out to Wales is going to be of some great education benefit." When they arrive in Wales, Mr. Briggs begins to bore the children with a lecture about Conway Castle, "Now, those large square holes…that's where the archers would fire from if the castle was under attack." This speech that he performs is probably the most pointless thing he will ever say but again Russell is trying to get the audience o see what they think about that.

"No you listen Mr Briggs!! Teach them? Teach them what? Nobody want them Educating." Here is where Mrs Kay really loses her temper with Mr Briggs. But is Mrs Kay right does nobody want them educating. Russell does not give us a different answer but is letting the audience make up their own minds. The basis of this conversation is what could be called one of the foundation block of this play because all the way though previous scenes we see Mrs Kay is not the kind of teacher that would teach us for example but someone who is just concerned about loving and mothering them and most importantly trying to make life as enjoyable as possible rather than educating them. Because Mrs Kay knows that they have no real future and that it is all planned out in front of them. But Russell is questioning whether it is because of their education ability that is stopping them or is it society that won’t let them get anywhere. Because we know that Carol has this deepest despair to move up in life but can she?  And if she can’t what the reason why?
Also we are aware that Mrs Kay knows that they are not going to get anywhere. We also know this due to other incidents like her and Carol on the coach talking about whether Carol could live in a “nice” house.
Mr Briggs then in turn does not know what to say to this comment and replies with something that is not he option of what she says but only referring to it as “stuff”. As he wants to run the trip his way. Mr Briggs seems like he is never going to change his views about the trip and when at the beach doesn't want anything to do with either Mrs Kay or the children as he sits on a rock away from the group. It isn't Mr Briggs attitude about the trip it is his general attitude with the children, which Mrs Kay Doesn't like. Russell makes this attitude apparent right from the start with, Mr Briggs language towards the children, "You have some real bright sparks here Mrs Kay, a right Bunch."

Join now!


Mr Briggs in his next speech is referring to the headmaster again he has used this before in previous situation always coming back with “oh but the headmaster sent ME” Perhaps thinking that, that will create some more respect from Mrs Kay to himself but it is unsuccessful, Because then immediately after Mrs Kay plans another excursion to the beach leaving Mr Briggs in ore staring at a walking away from him Mrs Kay. This shows Mrs Kay has slightly more power over Mr Briggs even though he is meant to be the one with power over the whole trip.
So ...

This is a preview of the whole essay