Dull lighting falls upon the Johnstone’s living room. Mrs Johnstone is patching up a pair of ripped trousers, sitting on a worn armchair opposite a mismatched sofa. The backdrop is of a dusty room with stained brown walls. The atmosphere is calm. Then the policeman knocks on the door, Mrs Johnstone sets aside her sowing and gets up to look out of the window next to the door. When she sees the policeman she starts to panic, she makes nervous, jumpy movements and darts around hiding things that are tatty or have been stolen; without being returned, for shame. She examines the room searching for dubious objects, when she finds none she nods to herself, smoothes her dress down and takes a deep calming breath. Mrs Johnstone lets the policeman in. He barges imperiously past her and enters the living room. The policeman looks around the room disdainfully then turns on Mrs Johnstone, looking down his nose at her. It is clear that he thinks he is superior and disapproves of her. She sits down and gestures to the sofa, he does not take the offered seat but stands straight-backed, looming over her with his hands clasped behind his back. Mrs Johnstone is clearly intimidated by the policeman; she flinches when the policeman looks her in the eye and quickly looks at the floor. The policeman frowns at her as he begins to talk; Mrs Johnstone keeps her mouth shut tight and stares at the floor, wincing when the policeman says the word ‘court’- she looks extremely ashamed. As the policeman stalks off she continues to stare at the floor and only when the policeman has left does she look up. She looks withdrawn as if she is having a daydream as she starts to sing. The only light now is a pale spotlight focusing upon her. Mrs Johnstone finishes singing and slowly lets her head bow as she does so the spotlight fades away and the set is dark. The audience feels sorry for her.
The stage lights up again on a relaxed scene. The backdrop has changed to a grand living room with a chandelier, an old fashioned radio, a bookcase filled with books and a mantle piece above a fireplace upon which trophies and happy photos crowd together. There are two leather armchairs and a matching sofa in the middle of the stage, sitting on the sofa are Mr Lyons and the policeman and on one of the armchairs, Edward. The policeman looks very at ease and the atmosphere is quite relaxed except for Mr Lyons who is sitting straight-back with a serious expression on his face. Opposite them, on his armchair, sits Edward. He is smiling nervously and is twiddling his thumbs. The policeman is holding a small glass of scotch which he takes a swig from occasionally. He is smiling, sitting back in his chair, has taken his helmet off and has the sleeves of his shirt rolled up – none of these things did he do at Mrs Johnstones house. He hangs his scotch-free hand over the side of the sofa casually and starts to talk, smiling all the while. This is a completely different side of the policeman and the audience is taken-aback by his startlingly different behaviour and a little angry for treating poor Mrs Johnstone like he did. The policeman’s prejudice against the working class contrasts beautifully with his obvious approval of the upper-middle class to clearly show class differences. When the policeman says ‘make sure he keeps with his own kind, Mr Lyons’ (another piece of prejudice against the working class) he drains his glass, gets up and lets Edward and Mr Lyons show him to the door where the policeman finishes the scene by saying ‘well, er, thanks for the drink, sir. All the best now.’- he straightens out his sleeves-‘He’s a good lad, aren’t you Adolph?’- He ruffles Edwards’s hair-‘Goodnight, sir’ the policeman then replaces his hat and leaves. Lights fade and the audience is startled, the end.
The scenes – as well as having good drama content – are a bold statement against Thatcherism. The contrast between poor, bullied, working class Mrs Johnstone and rich, pampered, upper-middle class Mr Lyons throws into light how nasty it is. Lower classes should not be bullied and Willy Russell shows this in his work.
Yours sincerely
