Willy Russell had taught in Dingle Vale School and it was one of the locations used in the film. In Our Day Out, Willy Russell gives us important messages whilst keeping us entertained. In the city of Liverpool, there is lack of education. Willy Russell makes the audience aware of this by taking the children in progress class who have trouble reading and writing on an exciting experience to the Conwy Castle.
Willy Russell interests us in the characters of Carol and Briggs on the cliff scene by showing us the personalities and the difference in lifestyle between Mr Briggs and Carol.
The difference between Carol and Briggs is that Carol comes from a sad background and the teacher Mr Briggs who probably doesn’t understand what kind of life Carol has, doesn’t respect her. ‘I’m talking to you, Carol Chandler. Now you listen here, young lady…’
In scene one, the introduction says ‘Rushing along the street wearing a school uniform which doubles as a street outfit and her Sunday best’. This tells the viewers / readers already that she is poor and cannot afford any new clothes. She has to wear her school uniform most of the time. Now I’m going to write about Mr Briggs, Carol, the Stage Directions and Conclusion.
The character of Mr Briggs shows that he is an angry and stressed man. The way he speaks to the children gives us a message that he is always tough. But when it comes to the cliff scene, his nice personality shows out. The way he speaks towards Carol is very nice. ‘Carol. Carol, please come away from there.’ He says this at the end, and Carol responds and gives Mr Briggs a compliment ‘Sir, you should smile more often, y’ look great when y’ smile.’
The tone of Brigg’s voice throughout the play is mean. The only time his tone of voice is soft, is when he wants someone to do something for him e.g. get Carol down from the cliff. ‘Come on, Carol.’ At first he is being very tough on the children, ‘Now listen here young lady – I don’t like your attitude one but!’
Once he gets to know the children better, he becomes kinder. ‘It’s all right … we’ll get round them all eventually.’
At the start of the play, the way Briggs speaks to the children is horrible, e.g. Briggs speaking with Reilly. ‘Sit down, now, come on, move!’
After the cliff scene, when Carol came down to the coach with Mr Briggs, you can see that he has changed his attitude from a grumpy old man, to a good hearted man.
If you take a look after the cliff scene, Mr Briggs doesn’t raise his voice at the children anymore.
Mr Briggs protected Carol from getting into trouble by Mrs Kay. ‘Mrs Kay, I’ve found her. Now will you just let me deal with this.’
When they got to the coach, Mrs Kay was worried about her, and almost was going to get mad after she had asked Carol ‘Where were you?’ and she heard Carol say ‘On the cliff, miss.’ But Briggs made a promise and said ‘It won’t be even mentioned.’ And he didn’t mention what happened at all. After when Mr Briggs and Carol walked down from the cliff to the coach, Mrs Kay was worried and was about to start moaning. Mr Briggs said to Mrs Kay ‘Mrs Kay, I’ve found her. Now will you just let me deal with this.’
Carol is in the progress class. She finds writing and reading difficult. The way Carol acts in this play makes the viewers feel sorry for her. e.g. ‘Wearing a school uniform which doubles as a street outfit and her Sunday best. She is eating half a sandwich and clutching a supermarket carrier bag.’ And also getting shouted by Briggs.
She is always asking teachers where things are, ‘Where are we goin, miss?’
By looking at the people Carol has talked to, she is a nice child and respects other people.
Whilst Briggs and Carol are talking on the cliff, Carol becomes tough to Briggs. ‘Try an’ get me an’ I’ll jump over.’ Briggs was frightened when he heard Carol say this. Briggs couldn’t let Carol stay on the cliff whilst the class go back to school. Briggs tries his best to get her down, but Carol still is standing there. Carol and Briggs are still talking but suddenly Carol looks at Briggs and she smiles, then Briggs smiles back at her. ‘Sir, you should smile more often, y’ look great when y’ smile.’ (Trying to make Mr Briggs a happy man) Then after, Mr Briggs agrees not to say a word, ‘Nothing I promise you.’
Excitement builds up as Carol and Briggs argue during the cliff scene. At the start of the play, Briggs is being tough on Carol. But when it came to the cliff scene, every word said makes it more exciting. Once Briggs found Carol at the top of the cliff, Briggs thought that he can get Carol down by just saying a few words.
But it wasn’t like that; they talked on the cliff for several minutes, and the moment Briggs came nearer to Carol, she kept threatening Mr Briggs that she’ll move nearer and nearer to the end of the cliff and jump off. Briggs became softer to Carol at the end, and Carol decided to come down.
Willy Russell has created tension in the cliff scene by making everyone aware of where Carol is. And having Briggs go look for her. The audience would be amazed by looking at the way Carol speaks to a teacher in a bright atmosphere (Up on the cliff).
The argument they both had was dramatic and exciting for the audience. It looked like Mr Briggs didn’t stand a chance against Carol because of all the strong and affecting sentences Carol has said, ‘Don’t you come near me!’ You can see how strong this sentence is and the way she had said it looked like it affected Mr Briggs by a lot.
During the cliff scene when Carol and Briggs argue, the audience will feel amazed by how Carol acts towards Briggs as he is a teacher. Carol always pressured Mr Briggs by saying that she’ll jump over if he came nearer to her. ‘Try an’ get me an’ I’ll jump over.’
But for Briggs he’s always mad and shouting. During the conversation, Brigg’s temper rises every moment but it becomes softer at the end.
