Shirley Valentine

In ‘Shirley Valentine’ Willy Russell presents the transformation of a stifled middle-aged women. The dramatic techniques used in play help the audience to understand the importance of Shirley’s transformation were monologues, flashbacks and voiceovers. At the end of the play the audience would be pleased for Shirley for the reason that she has changed so much and she is very happy because she can make a start to her life.

The play, Shirley valentine was written by Willy Russell. His life experiences influenced through the play. He couldn’t work in many places because he wasn’t a qualified person. As Shirley was a housewife she couldn’t work anywhere. Willy Russell bring into being play writing and he enjoyed it. Shirley went Greece and found a job they’re which she loves doing. Willy Russell worked in a Saloon so he would have in sighting about the lives of women. This play is influenced by kitchen sink drama, this play is about Shirley who is an example of a stereo typical house wife, working class woman, she does things like shopping, cleaning, cooking and taking care of the children and so on. Shirley is also an example of a pessimistic woman who is constantly thinking that disappointing things are going to occur. Russell Satirise feminism in the play through Jane’s attitude, saying men are only after one thing, which is sex, “Jane – All men are potential men”, and “ Jane – Since we arrived, he hasn’t taken his eyes off us. He’s spent the whole time undressing us”. Which tell us that Jane is a feminist to people she doesn’t even know. Jane is not a true feminist for the reason that, when as man asks Jane out, she agrees! “Shirley! Listen he’s just invited me out to dinner”. However Shirley is very different, she has devoted most of her life to her husband and kids and she is tired with her life so she wants to start a new life.

The title sequence and opening scenes help to establish Shirley’s character as dreary, boring, routine and stereotypical by using visual images, sound and editing. The images at the beginning convey information in relation to Shirley’s life and what she does. The sketches are unfinished representing Shirley who is unfulfilled. The sketches are painted blue which tells us her life is depressing, cold and boring, they are on a white background represents her life as plain and empty. There is a sound track, “the girl the used to be me, used to be free”. Which tells us her life has changed for the worse. At the beginning of the movie the first exterior shot and the first interior shot we see Shirley walking to her house carrying shopping bags and walking into a house where we see her talking to the kitchen wall. Tells us that she is a house wife and she lives a dull and boring life, this is empathised by the outside of her house, it is raining and there is thunder and it is dark.

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Russell’s use of flashbacks show the audience about Shirley’s personality. The Flashbacks tell us why Shirley is dissatisfied with life, “Oh, Shirley, do put your hand down. You couldn’t possibly know the answer”. This has helped us understand that she was discouraged at school and so she became a rebel. She was beginning to get bad grades so she couldn't fulfil her dreams, to be an airhostess. This wasn’t just when she was young but this was carried on till she got older. It was in the school hall when the head mistress is being rude to her again. “Well, Shirley naturally you are leaving us and a brief glance at your report confirming my deep suspicion that you will not go far in life”. Which tells us the headmistress still doesn’t like her. At the start of Shirley and Joe’s life, when they got married they used to be in high spirits. They used to have fun. They used to feel affection for each other, “I love you Shirley valentine”, Joe and Shirley talking together, they got on well. “You little bugger”, they used to say things like this for fun in Shirley’s flashback.

In ‘Shirley Valentine’ Russell uses a lot of minor characters to reveal Shirley's character through some encounters. In school she was confident. She was a rebel. Russell uses minor characters like the headmistress and Marjorie Majors to give you an idea about how she became a rebel. Russell shows Shirley’s sense of humour by using Gillian when she was talking about Brussels and Shirley and Shirley replies, “ Yeh, it must be all those sprouts”. This shows Shirley’s sense of humour. Russell uses the characters like the holidaymakers and Costas to show the changes Shirley made in Greece. She has turn out to be friendly to other people like Renos, “Hiya Renos”. She seeks much more independence, when Jenette invited Shirley to sit with their family, but Shirley did not want to go,”Oh no no thanks very much, I’d really…” Costas helps Shirley to fall in love in life. Shirley is also very carefree when she was with Costas on the boat, “ I wan to jump off the roof!” This shows us that she is becoming daring again. She refers to her self as Shirley Valentine although she is still Shirley Bradshaw. This tells us that she has changed into the girl she used to be.

Russell’s use of dramatic monologue creates a trusting relationship whit the audience, which allows us to empathise with Shirley. Russell uses monologues to involve the audience in Shirley’s life; they both don’t talk to each other since their marriage has broken down, instead she talks to wall. Monologues are evidence for us that Shirley feels isolated but she also does so when she is contented. “On Thursday it has to be steak!” she is telling us how arrogant and demanding Joe is. She is lonely, that is the main reason she is talking to the wall. “ Hello Wall”. Russell also uses monologues when Shirley is happy in Greece, when her dream she had when she was in Liverpool, she wanted to sit by the sea and drink wine, “Funny isn’t it? You know, when you are pictured something – and you’ve imagined how something’s goanna be well, it never…” I’ve lived such a little life. An even that’ll be over pretty soon…” she is tired of her life in Liverpool, she is telling us she has lived a short life even though she is not very old. Russell use of voiceover, help the audience to understand the flashbacks. Shirley in voiceovers explains what is going on and when she is talking about someone, “it’s marvellous to be with such a good man. I know whatever happens he won’t take any thing from me. I know…” this quote is from when they were swimming near the small bay and Shirley seems to trust Costas a lot but she isn’t in love with him but in love with life.

Russell’s use of setting highlights the difference between Shirley in Greece and Shirley in Liverpool, because there are a lot of differences between Shirley, when is in Liverpool and when she is in Greece. Russell use of setting shows the audience how Shirley is feeling and how the atmosphere it is. In Liverpool the lighting was dreary, dull, boring and dark which tells us that it is not a very good day and the atmosphere is quit dull and sad. Where as in Liverpool it was bright, sunny and colourful and bright setting in most places, which tell us she is happy and in a enjoyable atmosphere. The sound in Liverpool was dull, boring, slow, lonely and there was some thunder, which tells us once again, the place looked sad. However in Greece there is lively, fast, loud exciting, lively atmosphere, which tells us Shirley is having fun and the place sound fun and exciting. In Liverpool Shirley was wearing middle-aged cloths, which are quite dull, she was sad, lonely and less self-confident. She was Shirley Bradshaw but in Greece she was wearing clothes, much younger, more feminine and daring clothes she was much more confident and she is acting like when she used to be young; she was being Shirley valentine.

The play is divided into scenes because it is written as a screenplay and to be made into a movie. The play is written in a non-chronological order. The pace of the movie is quite fast so it is not boring. It moves from scene to scene to keep the audiences interested and to keep the suspense. There is an absence of flashbacks in Greece because Shirley has found something she likes and she isn’t lonely, “That’s right, Joe I agree with you. Now that I’ve found some life, I've no intention of intention of runnin away from it”. She doesn’t want to lose her life again. Shirley wasn’t sure if she should go to Greece, but the climactic moments in the first half of the play has made Shirley made up her mind, “chips an’ egg. Chips an’ egg …when I ‘m working all the hours the sends”. when Joe pushed the plate along the table and it drops on Shirley’s lap, Shirley gets up and underlines the word Greece on the poster she got from the travel agents. She had made up her mind to go. When Gillian came over to Shirley’s house and gave her the dress, “Please Shirley don’t say anything. It’s yours. I just want you to know that. I think you’re marvellous”. This gives Shirley confidence in her decision, to go to Greece. So, this is another one for the climactic moments in the first half of the play that ensures the audience empathises with Shirley’s decision to leave Joe and go to Greece.

The final impression of Shirley’s character was that she is a completely changed woman. Shirley seems much younger; she started to live a life of her own. Joe came to Greece to see Shirley, even though he doesn’t like going away from home, this also shows that he has changed and wants to make a new start. “Hello. I used to be the mother. I used to be the wife. But now I’m Shirley valentine again”. Which we can understand that she has changed. At the end of the play we see a Joe and Shirley sitting to together. Which also tells us they want to make a new start.

The dramatic techniques help us to understand this transformation she changed from a stereotypical housewife to a women who is enthusiastic about life ambitions. The absence of flashbacks show she is much more happier. The setting also tells use how she has changed. From dark, dull and boring setting in Liverpool to fun, bright and colourful life in Greece. Which tells us she is better of in Greece.

Shirley Valentine