The title sequence helps to establish Shirley’s character through a number of different techniques. For example, the use of visual images in some scenes reiterates the audiences image of the play. Shirley’s loneliness, monotonous dark featureless scenes suggests that she does the same dull routine everyday. Generic colours show vacuum cleaners, dusters, washing machine, irons and us that the story has a lot of depression in it as the title sequence is blue and lifeless in the start we see pictures of kitchen a sink. All these appliances are to do with kitchen and what stereotypical housewives do.
The climax of the title finish illustrates to the audience domestic activities as well an applied drawing of a working class woman, for example cleaning, cooking and shopping demonstrates a woman in Shirley’s situation. The use of sound in the play is pivotal towards our understanding. At the beginning of the play there is monotonous, depressing music. The music generates a weary mood, and bestows the audience with a comprehensible understanding of her life. the lyrics tell a story of being trapped and having unfulfilled potential, ‘The girl that use to be me’. ‘The girl that used to be Free’- This enhances that she is isolated and feels trapped. The editing is exploited in the slow length and pace of the music. The editing moves slowly. Suggesting the play is based on a sad story. As the play begins the first exterior shot is Shirley Valentine struggling to walk down the street loaded down with bags of shopping on a small narrow street with many identical houses conveying the dullness of her life. The first interior shot is Shirley closing doors which shows she is all alone and feeling trapped between the four walls of the house. The effect this has on the audience us that it makes us bond with the character and make us know how she is feeling.
This additionally conveys a monotonous life led by Shirley. Towards the closing stages of the play the audience feel content at the fact that Shirley has changed for the better, and that her dream has turned into reality.
Russell’s uses of flashbacks are imperative towards our understanding of Shirley’s lifestyle. We see Shirley, discontented and infuriated with her present and conjugal life. We also acknowledge that Joe and Shirley once were deeply in love with each other. As Joe says “I love you..... Shirley Valentine” followed by ‘she puts her head against his’ this implies undoubtedly that they both naturally got on with each other. Furthermore, Joe says ‘you’re a nutcase, you are. I love you… Shirley Valentine’. This portrays that they were young and free they knew how to have fun and Shirley was not isolated. The use of flashbacks enables us to understand the situation Shirley is in, furthermore allowing us to see how she is feeling. As Shirley quotes “and even though her name was changed to Shirley Bradshaw she was still Shirley Valentine” this communicates to us that she is lost and emotional. The flashback to her school days demonstrates how her headmistress uses to put her down. When Shirley tries to answer a question the headmistress says to her ‘Oh Shirley, do put your hand down. You couldn’t possibly know the answer’. This gives the audience an insight into why Shirley turned out to be a lonely women its because no one was ever there to encourage her; instead her head mistress put her down. From then on Shirley was ‘Never really interested in school’ Willy Russell demonstrates this process when he shows young Shirley says ‘miss it was the wheel! Mans most important invention was the wheel’ The headmistress bursts out with rage, pointing a shacking finger at her saying ‘Somebody must have told you!’. This shows that no one really believed in Shirley they thought because she came from a lower class she don’t know anything. Or another example was when Shirley got her report. The Headmistress says ‘And now
we come to Miss Valentine Well, Shirley – naturally you are leaving us. And a brief glace at you report confirms my deep suspicion that you will not go far in life’, Russell employs these flashbacks to give the audience an insight into Shirley’s lack of educational opportunities as an adult, and how
Russell uses the play to reveal the class prejudice of the 1960’s British education. This also illustrates to us how adapted she was to her schooling lifestyle.
These uses of flashbacks are fundamental towards our understanding of Shirley’s relationship with Joe, They also encourage us to think about Shirley’s past, and help the audience to see how she has changed during the course of the play.
As new holidaymakers ‘Dougie, Jeanette, Thelma and Sydney’ enter the screenplay, it gives us some awareness of how Shirley’s character is revealed through the play. These characters that are present during Shirley’s transformation are fundamental towards Shirley’s makeover and they enable us to be aware of how Shirley changes during the play. The phrase ‘you can say what you like- it’s not Lloret, is it?’ indicates to us that the holiday makers do not like change. This is a key point, because we can see undoubtedly that Shirley desires an instantaneous alteration. Thelma is very comparable to Shirley as she tolerates rudeness from her husband Sydney. For example ‘I said to her this morning’ this reflects Shirley’s relationship with Joe, It furthermore reinforces her desire to change for the reason that these are constant reminders of Shirley’s relationship with Joe.
Dramatic monologue used in the play engages the audience in the development of Shirley’s character. For example ‘she talks to the camera’ this is incoming us with her. This helps the audience to understand Shirley’s character because she confides in us. As Shirley says ‘he says he still loves me’ and “bet you didn’t recognise me” these both are involving the audience. At the beginning of the play, Shirley enters the kitchen and says ‘Hello Wall’. This establishes her solitary, isolated life; the camera represents us so she is talking and expressing her feelings of abandonment to us.
The audience realise that it is the patriarchal figure of Joe that keeps Shirley trapped in the kitchen when she tells the camera ‘What will he be like, eh Wall? My feller? What will he be like when he finds out he’s only gettin’ chips an’ egg for his tea?’ We realise that she has lost the courage she had as a teenager. Headmistress said just before which was ‘’Well, Shirley, naturally you are leaving us. And a brief glance at your report confirms my deep suspicion that you will not go far in life.’ This shows that know one believed in Shirley so she did not have the confidence to go on and so she had no courage to make something of herself. This relates to socio-historical context of working class women.
Russell’s use of voice overs helps us to understand how she sees certain situations. As Shirley quotes ‘the only thing I hated was myself’ shows the play how Shirley sees different situations. Visual humour and verbal humour entertain and keep amused the audience. An example of verbal humour is when Shirley quotes ‘world exclusive, Joe eats late’
This demonstrates to us that Shirley is a amusing person. Shirley also mentions to Joe ‘Here, Van Gough’ which is a good illustration of visual humour and moreover demonstrates to us that she is a humorous individual.
Russell increases the pace of the play after the climax by shortening the scenes. She moves from the post office to the shops from the shops to the family house. This symbolises the change in Shirley’s life by suggesting it has transformed to an exciting and interesting life. Before the text cuts to Greece, Shirley implies she has reclaimed her identity when says in voice-over ‘I’m no longer Shirley Bradshaw- middle-aged housewife, beginnin’ to sag a bit – I’m Shirley the Brave, Shirley the Marvellous… Shirley Valentine! From now on when I look in the mirror, I’m not goin’ to say Christ you’re forty- two- I’m going to say Hey Shirley, you’re only forty-two! Isn’t that marvellous?
Willy Russell uses fewer flashbacks as Shirley continues to stay in Greece. This alludes to the fact that she is enjoying her life and does not need to reminisce about the past. She is able to live in the future.
There are two sides to this play in which I can see, I feel that there is a change in Shirley as from the start of the play Shirley comes across as a very boxed in women living her life for someone else who was her husband Joe. She felt very isolated so the only things she had to talk to was her kitchen walls. This showed me that she wasn’t very happy in her life as she had no social life and no courage to break away from her husband and her miserable life in Liverpool.
The final impression of Shirley is that she has changed from being a discontent and despondent lady to a woman with much more self-assurance and resilience. She has also become more self-sufficient in herself, and seems to be more positive in herself. She has tackled her life in a very mature manor and has overcome all the struggles throughout her existence.
In conclusion, Shirley has changed from being a disconsolate and forlorn lady to a woman with much more self assurance and buoyancy. She has adapted to an innovative lifestyle, which has more enthusiasm about it. The dramatic techniques used in this play have enhanced our understanding of Shirley to a great deal. They have allowed the audience to become further involved towards Shirley’s immense transformation, therefore boosted the audiences knowledge of the play.
