Explain how a key extract from the play Blood Brothers by Willy Russell might be staged and explain the role of the chosen character in this part of the play. “Blood Brothers” was written by Willy Russell, who was born in Whiston on the outskirts of Liverpool in 1947. The play Blood Brothers was first performed in a secondary school in Fazakerly, a suburb of Liverpool in 1982. On the first night it was performed in front of four hundred pupils, there were minimal props, scenery and music, but over the years it has been developed onto Broadway in 1993. It has been translated into at least ten different languages and is performed regularly all over the world.
The play is set throughout the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s with the main themes brought out towards the end of this period. Russell’s intentions in the play and the portrayal, reflects the idea of social differences. The social class differences are projected vastly throughout the play and the question of, “Is a working class resident able to break free of their working class” arises. Mickey and Edward are the key characters in the play and are both twins however they are unaware of this fact. This is because when the mother (Mrs Johnstone) gave birth to twins, she would have 9 children and this would have proved almost impossible to provide for all, therefore she decided to give one of the twins to her employer, Mrs Lyons. As a result, Edward goes off with Mrs Lyons and lives a good medium class life; this is a vast contrast with Mickey’s life.
The two extracts from Blood Brothers which I have studied explore the idea of the two brothers uniting and becoming friends. However, they are still unaware at this point that they are not only siblings, but twins. One thing they do discover is their mutual days of birth, and due to this they become “Blood Brothers”, hence the title of the play. In the second scene the two have grown up; Edward has returned from university, and still has not yet matured. In contrast to Mickey who has matured and even has a job, however as Edward returns, Mickey is made redundant.
The first extract in my opinion is more effective because it is the very first time that the brothers meet, and realise they have the same birth date. At this point the audience are in suspense, wondering whether the two will realise that they are brothers. Explain how a key extract from the play Blood Brothers by Willy Russell might be staged and explain the role of the chosen character in this part of the play.
“Blood Brothers” was written by Willy Russell, who was born in Whiston on the outskirts of Liverpool in 1947. The play Blood Brothers was first performed in a secondary school in Fazakerly, a suburb of Liverpool in 1982. On the first night it was performed in front of four hundred pupils, there were minimal props, scenery and music, but over the years it has been developed onto Broadway in 1993. It has been translated into at least ten different languages and is performed regularly all over the world. The play is set throughout the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s with the main themes brought out towards the end of this period.
Russell’s intentions in the play and the portrayal, reflects the idea of social differences. The social class differences are projected vastly throughout the play and the question of, “Is a working class resident able to break free of their working class” arises. Mickey and Edward are the key characters in the play and are both twins however they are unaware of this fact. This is because when the mother (Mrs Johnstone) gave birth to twins, she would have 9 children and this would have proved almost impossible to provide for all, therefore she decided to give one of the twins to her employer, Mrs Lyons. As a result, Edward goes off with Mrs Lyons and lives a good medium class life; this is a vast contrast with Mickey’s life.
The two extracts from Blood Brothers which I have studied explore the idea of the two brothers uniting and becoming friends. However, they are still unaware at this point that they are not only siblings, but twins. One thing they do discover is their mutual days of birth, and due to this they become “Blood Brothers”, hence the title of the play. In the second scene the two have grown up; Edward has returned from university, and still has not yet matured. In contrast to Mickey who has matured and even has a job, however as Edward returns, Mickey is made redundant.
The first extract in my opinion is more effective because it is the very first time that the brothers meet, and realise they have the same birth date. At this point the audience are in suspense, wondering whether the two will realise that they are brothers.
