Directing a production of the final scene of Willy Russell's 'BLOOD BROTHERS'
GCSE English Post 1914 Drama Coursework Directing a production of the final scene of Willy Russell's 'BLOOD BROTHERS' In this piece of coursework, I am going to describe how I would direct the final scene in the play 'BLOOD BROTHER'S' written by Willy Russell's. I will use all aspects of theatre such as characterisation, mood, themes, and dramatic techniques. Furthermore, I will write on how I want the actor to say their lines (softly, slowly, desperate etc.), what kinds of lighting I will use (spotlights, faded, colours, shadows etc), how the actors should move (stance, position, movement, body language etc) and on the music and sound effects (volume, atmosphere etc). This play was written in Liverpool in 1914 although it is set in London 1914. Russell does seem to have the intention to discuss class divisions, which seems to be one of the themes of the play. Throughout the whole play the classes are affecting the two brother's relationships greatly. I believe that Russell's done a great job of successfully blending in comedy and tragedy, as thought the play, life is seen as a joke to Mickey and the play ends as a tragedy. At the time when the play was being written, there was a lot of class divinisation going around in Liverpool, which could have been, the cause for Russell to also add it in to his play. In the final scene, Mickey questions Edward whether he is having
What is Willy Russell telling us about class and society in 1980(TM)s Britain in the play Blood Brothers and how
What is Willy Russell telling us about class and society in 1980's Britain in the play Blood Brothers and how? Blood Brothers is a play by Willy Russel set in the 1980's which brings forward several issues about them time period, for example the split between social class and the high unemployment rate. In my opinion this is an interesting play which keeps the readers attention throughout with a dark end. The narrative revolves around twins that were separated at birth and grow up together being friends and not knowing the truth about their past, the play has a narrator which is very much a fundamental element in the play, he reveals in the opening scene that should the twins ever find out the truth they will both die, which adds to the tension and dramatic irony throughout the play which I will discuss later on. Throughout the story Russel is telling us about class and society, about how different the two ends of the spectrum are that if your poor your treated like your poor and if your rich your treated like a higher class human being. One way that Russel shows us the difference between the two social classes is a technique called cross cutting, this is showing once scene and then after it showing an almost opposite of this, Russel uses technique throughout the play however one main scene is when Micky, Eddie and Linda are caught by a policeman throwing stones at
Blood brothers by Willy Russell Analyse how Russell presents the brothers first meeting act one p22-27 what does the meeting reveal about the social and historical context of the play and how does it prepare us for the rest of the play.
Blood brothers by Willy Russell Analyse how Russell presents the brothers first meeting act one p22-27 what does the meeting reveal about the social and historical context of the play and how does it prepare us for the rest of the play. One of the reasons that Willy Russell created this play to show us the difference in class difference that existed in Liverpool at the time 1980. He shows the difference by showing us the contrasting lives of both of the mothers and boys. Mrs Johnstone has a hard life having to work hard for a living and Mrs Lyons has an easy life and this also applies to the boys Mickey lives a hard life and Edward lives an easy life. He shows us that education, living conditions, housing and wealth can be affect someone's class and social background. This is shown by their education is different Edward's education is better than Mickey this is shown by Mickey not knowing what an dictionary is I know this because he says "course I do it's a, it's a thingy innit which implies that he doesn't know what it is". Willy Russell is the author of the play 'Blood Brothers'. 'Blood Brother' is set in Liverpool which influences the storyline of the character Mickey's family live in a rough area of Liverpool then go on to move away from there house and go to live near his brothers family Edward. The setting of the play influence the way Mickey speak he has a
Who does the audience blame most for the deaths in
Who does the audience blame most for the deaths in "Blood Brothers?" Willy Russell was inspired to write the play Blood Brothers when he looked at his own life. He takes the starting point as twins at birth to write the play. I feel that the twins actually represent the two life styles he had during his life. When he was young his life wasn't that luxurious, he was known as a failure at school; I think this represents Mickey. Although he was a failure he had one passion, writing, he went to college and became a famous play writer. He got a lot of money and he became rich. I think that this part of his life represented Eddie. The play starts as The Mother has twins, as she cannot handle it she gives one of her babies to Mrs. Lyons her employer. Mrs. Lyons is worried that The Mother may go back on the deal, she makes up a superstition that if the two brothers find they have both been separated at birth they will both automatically die. They live their certain ways, but they become friends and make a blood brother pact "I will always defend my brother." They are not always the best of friends as they meet Linda, who Mickey marries but gets very jealous as she hangs around with Eddie. This leads into hatred on Mickey's side and leads to him threatening to kill him. But who is to blame for this? What makes this show so brilliant is that there are very few main
How is it possible that two people grow up together in the same family background and conditions, yet turn out to be strangers?
Priyanka Shah Professor Hunt HSS 099 November 2002 How is it possible that two people grow up together in the same family background and conditions, yet turn out to be strangers? How is it possible that two people who have lived together for many years are strangers to each other at the end? In Sonny's Blues, two brothers - the narrator and Sonny, grows up together in Harlem, fall apart as they grow older, and live completely different lives. In Lullaby, Ayah feels that Chato, her husband, has remained stranger to her even when they have spend forty years together, facing all the hardships and sufferings given by life. In Sonny' Blues, the narrator is the older brother who is conservative, determined, and a kind of family person. Sonny, who is his younger brother, is carefree and undecided about his future plans. It is sometimes very difficult to understand how two people coming from the same background live life completely opposite from each other. As the narrator and Sonny grow into adults, one moves towards "success" and the other moves towards failure. Once when their mother was dead, their lives completely changed. The narrator wants Sonny to finish his school and think about his future seriously. After knowing Sonny's plans to play jazz music, the narrator is surprised and annoyed. His conservative thinking and definition of success makes him unable to understand
Blood Brothers- How does Russell display to his audience the ways that class affects his characters?
How does Russell display to his audience the ways that class affects his characters? Willy Russell's musical, Blood Brothers is an entertaining story, written with didactic intent. At first look, it is about two twins who are separated at birth, and then become 'blood brothers' and best friends, until both of their lives end in tragedy. At the end of the play, the narrator leaves us with a question hanging as the explanation of the tragedy that occurs- "And do we blame superstition for what came to pass? Or could it be what we, the English, have came to know as class?"- Page 82 Russell's' intent is to show his audience how class effects peoples everyday lives, and causes problems in society. He does this by showing us an extreme situation using identical twins; just to show us how two people born exactly the same in every way are affected and changed by the social class system. The play is about two families who Russell uses to represent the two different sides of the class system. He shows us how they face different problems in everyday life and how what class you are in, affects the life you live. Russell also sends the message through this play that money cannot buy everything and cannot always bring love; as Mrs Lyons finds out with her 'son' Eddie. The play also makes the audience realise how other classes are often ignorant of other classes' issues, and are naïve of
EXPLAIN HOW THE TWO MOTHERS ARE DIFFERENT AND WHY RUSSELL PRESENTS THEM IN THIS WAY? The musical play Blood Brothers, written by Willy Russell, is the story of twins separated at birth
EXPLAIN HOW THE TWO MOTHERS ARE DIFFERENT AND WHY RUSSELL PRESENTS THEM IN THIS WAY? The musical play Blood Brothers, written by Willy Russell, is the story of twins separated at birth. Mrs Johnstone, a working-class Liverpudlian mother of seven children, agrees to give one of the twins she is expecting to her wealthy but barren employer, Mrs Lyons. The infant kept, Mickey Johnstone, grows up in poverty while his twin, Eddie Lyons, enters a privileged life. Bound by fear of discovery, and superstition that should either of the boys learn he has a twin, both will die on that day, so the mothers keep the exchange secret. Completely unaware that they are brothers, Mickey and Eddie meet as seven-year-old children and form friendship that lasts until the day they die. It is that concluding tragic event in fact, that is the opening scene of the play, which then backtracks to recount their separate and interwoven lives of success and despair. Willy Russell wrote "Blood Brothers" in the 1960's. He was born in 1947, in Whiston which is just outside Liverpool, and has based the story here around his own experiences. He grew up in Liverpool in a working class family, singing in clubs to earn a living and at the age of 22 he worked in a warehouse to raise money for college. He was confronted even from an early age with the injustice of the two-class society. Thus there are clear
At the beginning of the play "Blood Brothers", the narrator introduces Mrs Johnstone as The mother so cruel is this an accurate description of her?
At the beginning of the play Blood Brothers, the narrator introduces Mrs Johnstone as �The mother so cruel� is this an accurate description of her? Blood brothers is a play about two twin brothers, Mickey and Edward who are separated at birth, due to the fact their mother, �Mrs Johnstone� can�t financially and physically cope with looking after both children and both ending up growing up in completely backgrounds; one a quite privileged background and the other a poor upbringing. In the beginning of the play the mother of Mickey, Mrs Johnstone is described as �a mother so cruel�, in a way she is cruel. However is this description an accurate description of her? This is an accurate description in a way, because she gave away one of her twin children, which can be seen as horrible thing to do, because no matter what circumstances, someone is in, they should never give away one of their children if the truly �love them�. She is also cruel, because she is betraying both of her sons in a way, not only Mickey, because she is lying to them and not telling them that they have twin brothers. Also, the fact she won�t even let Mickey play with Edward or go near the �big houses� is cruel, because they should surely be allowed to be friends and going near big houses isn�t going to be unsafe for
How is the character 'Mrs Johnstone' portrayed in the play 'Blood Brothers'?
How is the character 'Mrs Johnstone' portrayed in the play 'Blood Brothers'? In this essay, I am going to explain how the character 'Mrs Johnstone' is portrayed in the play 'Blood Brothers'. At the start of the play the audience are told that she is only twenty-five years old and already has had seven children. This suggests that she is naturally a maternal character, embracing new life and showing her caring personality. William Russell (Russell) may also be hinting at religious rulings against contraception in her life, therefore implying that she is a Catholic. The character 'Mrs Johnstone' is also portrayed as an extremely poor woman. I know this because at the end of the play she says to Mickey (before shooting Edward) 'I couldn't afford to keep both of you'. This shows the readers that she is trapped by poverty and reinforces the idea that it is difficult for her to take care for her children and is ultimately the reason why she gave Edward away to the middle-class 'Mrs Lyons'. Russell suggests that she is 'old before her time'. This indicates that she had to sacrifice any youthful enjoyment and financial security to care for her children - she cannot gain financial security because she is unable to get a full-time job, due to her having to care for the children and the decline in the economy. 'Mrs Johnstone' is also uneducated and Russell implies this through a
Sunday Dinner - review
Sunday Dinner Sunday Dinner is a one-act play written by Caleen Sinnette Jennings. It is a comedy written in 1993. It is set in the Morgan family home. An elegant old house which stands in what once was a beautiful, upper-class Black neighbourhood. Inside, the Morgan home has all its original furnishings, meticulously and loveingly cared for. The living room where most of the story takes place is a picture of life in another age. A settee, an overstuffed chair, doilies, an antique table with framed family pictures on it, ornate lamps, family portraits on the walls. The room is cluttered, somewhat somber and in need of painting. Charl (Charlene) Morgan, Nat (Natrelle) Morgan and Ray (Rayette) James are three African- American sisters who live extremely different lives. Nat, the eldest, is a teacher who lives for the church and preserves the family home as a monument to their decreased mother. Ray, the middle one, is a home maker. She has two toddlers at home, Ronnie and Paul, and is pregnant again, with an unemployed husband. Charl, the youngest, is an up and coming TV reporter, living in the fast lane. She is always out late at night coming in at all hours of the morning and is mad about aerobics. After a long period of estrangement, the three come together for Sunday Dinner in their childhood home. Nat prays, Charl does