Question: How Does Russell Present the Character of Mrs Lyons in Blood Brothers?
Overview of Topic
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Begs Mrs Johnstone for one of her babies she is about to give birth to
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Raises the Eddie with a good education and opportunities causing jealousy to Mickey
Points and Quotes
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Asks and the pays for one of Mrs Johnstone babies “[containing her excitement]: Give one of
them to me.”
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She lies to Edward and husband so they don’t find out Edward isn’t their child “and my
husband doesn’t get back until the middle of July he need never guess.”
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Tries to kill Mrs Johnstone after trying to pay her off “thousands… I’m talking about
thousands if you want it. And think what you could do with money like that.”
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She fires Mrs Johnstone because she likes to be in control of everything “we both think it
would be better if you left.”
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She forces Mrs Johnstone to swear on the bible so that she can’t tell anyone about the
babies being twins “In the name of Jesus, the thing was done, now there’s no going back, for
anyone.”
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Makes Mickey jealous of Eddie’s lifestyle because of Mrs Lyons giving him a good education
and good opportunities “how come you got everything… an’ I got nothin’?”
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She gets annoyed at Mrs Johnstone for following her “Wherever I go you’ll be just behind
me. I know that now… always and forever and ever like, like a shadow.”
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Mrs Lyons find out about the locket Mrs Johnstone gave to Eddie with a picture of Mickey in
it but she thinks it is Eddie in the photo not Mickey “Suspended? Suspended? Because of a locket?...
When…when were you photographed with this woman?”
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Mrs Johnstone threatens to tell Eddie and Mickey that they are brothers but Mrs Lyons tells
her not to because of the superstition about secretly separated twins “They say that if either twin
learns that he once was a pair, they shall both immediately die.”
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She is a bit of a control freak because of how she threatens and pays off people if they
threaten to change her not-so-perfect life “You won’t tell anyone about this, Mrs Johnstone,
because if you do, you will kill them.”
Conclusion
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She likes to control everything
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Lies to her family
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The relationship between her family is very weak and except from financially they don’t
really support each other unlike the Johnstone family
Discuss the presentation of Mrs Lyons in Blood Brothers
Mrs Lyons is an important character in the play ‘Blood Brothers’ because she gets Mrs Johnstone to
give up one of her babies. She brings this child up as Eddie and makes out that nothing has ever
happened. She also starts off the idea of superstitions as she puts new shoes onto the table with Mrs
Johnstone.
Mrs Lyons is the first introduces in ‘Blood Brothers’ as Mrs Johnstones employer, “is the job working
out all right for you?”
Mrs Lyons later seemingly brings bad luck into her house by placing a pair of new shoes on the table,
this introduces the theme of superstition into ‘Blood Brothers’ “oh god, Mrs Lyons, never put new
shoes on a table....You never know what will happen”.
During act one Mrs Johnstone discovers she is having twins and reveals she cannot cope, Mrs Lyons
comes up with a idea to keep one of the twins herself and raise him as her child, Give one to me”.
She also reassures her that everything will go to plan, “...and my husband doesn’t get back until, the
middle of July. He need never guess.”
Towards the end of ‘Blood Brothers’ Mrs Lyons tells Mickey about Linda cheating on him with Eddie.
This makes Mickey furious “ D’ y’ know who told me about....you...an’ Linda.....your mother...she
came to the factory and told me”.
During act one, Mrs Lyons becomes paranoid that Mrs Johnstone will take Eddie away from her,
however she feels she can’t reveal Eddie isn’t really hers to her husband so she finds it difficult to
sort anything out, “I don’t want her to hold the baby Richard...she’s...I don’t want the baby to catch
anything, babies can catch things very easily Richard.” She believes Mrs Johnstone has ruined
everything she has dreamt of, “I curse the day I met you. You ruined me.”
Later after developing the paranoia over Mrs Johnstone taking Eddie, Mrs Lyons decides to fire her,
“Sit down. Richard and I have been talking it over and, well the thing is, we both think it would be
better if you left.”
Although Mrs Lyons fired Mrs Johnstone, she is still anxious about her taking back Eddie due to the
betrayal, so Mrs Lyons blackmails her “If you tell anyone and these children learn of the truth, then
you know what will happen, don’t you?” She makes Mrs Johnstone feel as though she has
committed a crime she cannot make right,” You gave your baby away. Don’t you realise what a
crime that is. You’ll be locked up. You sold your baby.”
In act one, although Mrs Lyons thinks she has escaped from Mrs Johnstone by firing her and
blackmailing her, fate seems inevitable after she discovers Eddie and Mickey have already met “I’ve
told you to never go where boy’s like that live.”
Mrs Lyons could be blamed for everything that has happened to Eddie and Mickey during their lives,
this is because she is the one who placed the shoes upon the table and ‘Blood Brothers’ is based
upon the idea of superstition and what happens if you break one.