A Study Guide for
GCSE English
Literature
Blood Brothers
The plot:
The play is about twin bothers who are born to a working class mum, Mrs
Johnstone. Mrs Johnstone feels that she has to give one of her children away
at birth because she cannot afford to feed and clothe two children in addition
to the 7 she already has.
The woman she gives a twin to is called Mrs Lyons. Mrs Lyons is unable to
have children of her own and can’t adopt because her husband does not
want her to. However, as Mr Lyons is away on business, Mrs Lyons is able to
pass Edward off as her own child. After the baby is born, Mrs Lyons sacks
Mrs Johnstone from her cleaning job and refuses to let the two boys come
into contact. She is paranoid about the truth coming out and she plays on
Mrs Johnstone’s superstitious nature by telling her that if the twins ever find
out they were separated at birth they will die.
The play documents the different life experiences of the two boys. The play
was originally written as a musical, and through the songs the characters
sing they reveal what their lives are like. The twins meet at 7 and become
“Blood Brothers”. They promise each other that they will always be friends
and that they will always defend each other. They enjoy spending time with
each other see each other as regularly as they can. Edward enjoys Mickey’s
company as it means he can escape from his mother and her paranoia. The
audience sees the children engaged in childish games such as shooting at
Peter Pan in the park.
The twins’ life experiences are similar until they reach adolescence. It is then
that their lives change dramatically. Edward goes to university, whilst Mickey
marries Linda and has a family. Edward’s father is the owner of the factory
where Mickey works, whilst Mickey initially struggles to find employment and
a house in which to raise his family. Then, despite the fact he hates his job,
Mickey is distraught when he is made redundant and can’t find another job.
Desperate for money, he takes part in a robbery with his brother Sammy. A
man is killed during the robbery and Mickey is sent to prison, where he
becomes dependent on drugs for his depression.
On Mickey’s release, unknown to him, Edward helps the family out as he is in
a position to do so. Mickey is furious when he finds out. He questions the lies
on which he has built his life; this is further compounded when he finds out
that his wife, Linda, has been meeting Edward behind his back – Mrs Lyons
tells him. Mickey takes a gun to the council chambers where he bursts in on
Edward’s speech. The two argue. This is interrupted by Mrs Johnstone who
bursts in and tells the boys they are brothers. On hearing this, Mickey starts
shouting about the different life he could have had. The gun goes off
accidentally – shooting and killing Eddie. At the same time armed police
shoot and kill Mickey.
2
The play opens on a council chamber, two dead bodies are lying on
stretchers surrounded by police and onlookers. As the narrator
explains the story, the onlookers slowly start to exit, leaving only
the narrator and a grieving woman on stage (Overture).
Mrs Johnstone sings us the story of her life and how she became a
mother of seven by the age of 25. She explains how her husband
left her for another woman and she is expecting another baby. (Marilyn
Monroe)
Mrs Johnstone gets a job cleaning the house of a well off woman,
Mrs Lyons, Mrs Lyons’ husband is away on business for nine
months. Mrs Johnstone learns that she is in fact expecting twins,
she is extremely worried that the welfare will take some of her
children away as she cannot afford to look after them all. Mrs Lyons
learns of this and as she is unable to have children of her own,
persuades Mrs Johnstone to give her one of the twins (My Child).
Mrs Johnstone reluctantly agrees as Mrs Lyons says she will be able
to see the child every day at work.
Mrs Johnstone gives birth to two boys, Michael and Edward. She comes
home from the hospital to find men taking away ordered items she couldn’t
pay for, and sings of how everything slips away from her, even one of her
babies. (Easy Terms).
During the song, Mrs Lyons comes for ‘her’ baby.
Mrs Johnstone is at work playing with Edward on her break when Mrs Lyons
orders her back to work. Whilst Mrs Jonhstone is gone Mrs Lyons tells her
husband that Mrs Johnstone’s work has deteriorated and she should be
sacked. Mr Lyons agrees telling his wife that the house is her domain. Once
Mr Lyons has left for work, Mrs Lyons calls down her employee and lets her
go giving her money as a bribe. Mrs Johnstone is shocked and outraged
saying that if she leaves she will take her son with her, Mrs Lyons tells her
she cannot do that as, if twins parted at birth ever learn of the truth
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they shall both immediately die, according to superstition. Mrs Johnstone
who is very superstitious, quickly leaves distraught
(Shoes Upon The Table).
The play then moves on seven years, Mickey Johnstone meets a boy of his
age outside his house, the boy followed him back there after seeing him play
with other boys in the park near his house. The two boys ‘decide’ to be best
friends, they introduce themselves, the other boy calls himself Edward
Lyons. The two boys discover they share the same birthdays and believing
they were meant to be brought together they prick their fingers, mix the
blood and become Blood Brothers (July 18th).
Mickey’s mother enters and finding out that her sons new best
friend is in fact the son she gave away all those years ago, sends
Edward away telling him never to come back.
Mickey is playing games with his older brother, Sammy and his best friend
Linda (Kids Game). The two mothers are now aware of the budding
friendship between their sons, they forbid each other to play together. Eddie
ignoring his mother sneaks out to play with Mickey and Linda (Gyspies in
the Wood).
Mrs Lyons is so afraid that Eddie will find out the truth she
persuades Mr Lyons it would be best if they moved to the country
as their son is starting to mix with the wrong kind of people.
Initially, Mr Lyons says no but he is persuaded when Eddie is brought home
by a policeman. Eddie goes round to the Johnstone’s to say his final
goodbyes. Mrs Johnstone answers the door, unable to bear the fact she will
lose her son again she gives him a locket with a photo of herself and Mickey
for him to keep, but makes him promise he will keep it a secret. Eddie then
says goodbye to his best friend and gives him a final present, a toy gun
before he leaves.
Mickey, out playing sings, of his loneliness now Eddie has moved away
(Long Sunday Afternoon). At the same time, Eddie in his new house sings
of Mickey (My Friend).
The postman enters with a special delivery informing the family they are to
be rehoused to the country as the council is tearing their current house
down. Mrs Johnstone and the children sing of their new life in the country,
Mickey rushes off to find Linda, he finds out she has also been rehoused with
her family. Linda joins in the song with the rest of the family (Bright New
Day).
4
At the start of Act 2, Mrs Johnstone enters now living at her new home in
Skelmersdale lane. She introduces Sammy, now 16 who has burnt the school
down and Mickey, now 14 and in love with Linda. (Marilyn Monroe 2). All
Mrs Johnstone’s other children have ‘got married or moved away’ and Donna
Marie has 3 children. She hasn’t seen Edward for years as he moved away to
the country.
Edward, now also 14, is going to his posh boarding school. However, he gets
suspended for not giving a teacher the locket that Mrs Johnstone gave him
before he moved away in the first act. Mrs Lyons asks Edward about the
locket (Secrets) and looks at the picture inside thinking the photograph is of
Edward and Mrs Johnstone, although it is Mickey and Mrs Johnstone when
they were younger.
Linda, now also 14, is in love with Mickey and tells him wherever and
whenever she gets the chance. Too embarrassed, Mickey dare not tell her
how he feels about her. They both get suspended in class. Now both Mickey
and Eddie are suspended from School they bump into each other again, at
first not recognising one another and each sing how they wish they could be
like one another. (That Guy).
Edward and Linda are re-introduced and the three of them spend 4 years
together, between the ages of 14 and 18 doing everything
together and having lots of fun (Summer Sequence). Edward realises he is
falling in love with Linda. He sings of how Mickey and Linda should be
together to Linda and of how he would treat her, hinting at his true feelings
(I’m not Saying a Word). Edward makes Mickey ask Linda out, and she
says yes with no hesitation. Instead of spending Edward’s last night together
Edward, upset, goes home alone while Mickey and Linda go out to celebrate.
A couple of months after Edward leaves, Linda falls pregnant, Mickey tells his
mother and she gives her blessing for them to get married (One Day in
October) and agrees that they can live with her.
When Mickey turns up for work after the wedding he is fired. (Take a Letter
Miss Jones).
He walks round all day, every day looking for a new job, but there is nothing.
Upset and angry he meets Eddie again whilst he is back on Christmas Break.
They have a huge argument when Eddie offers Mickey money so he can go
out dancing, Mickey is furious that Eddie can still act like a child and not
5
have to face up to responsibility like he does. Mickey tells him to leave him
alone, Eddie leaves and both of the men are furious with the other.
Eddie goes to find Linda and tells her he is in love with her and
always has been. Linda admits that she also cares for Eddie (more like a
sister through then a lover). Eddie proposes and Linda tells him about the
baby and the wedding. Eddie is in shock and upset, he reluctantly leaves.
Meanwhile, Sammy tries to persuade Mickey to stand guard while a
robbery takes place, Mickey, desperate for money, agrees.
In the robbery, things go wrong and Sammy accidentally shoots a man and
kills him. (The Robbery)
He flees the scene leaving Mickey. Mickey is sent down for seven years and
whilst he is in prison he becomes depressed. The doctor prescribes him pills,
these however make him feel low and exhausted. After many visits from
Linda he gets out of jail, but is still taking the pills and is now addicted to
them (Marilyn Monroe 3).
Mickey refuses to stop taking his tablets, Linda upset and frustrated calls
Eddie at the Council. They meet up, it starts as a friendship but a romance
blossoms (Light Romance). Mrs Lyons intent on ruining life for the
Johnstones goes to Mickey’s workplace and tells him of the close relationship
between Eddie and Linda. Mickey, delirious from his pills, runs from work to
his house and takes a loaded gun to the Council to confront Eddie
(Madman).
He runs into the middle of a meeting and holds the gun to Eddie’s head. He
accuses him of getting everything in life, even Linda, whilst he got nothing.
Mickey, extremely upset and confused, breaks down crying. Mrs Johnstone
runs into the Council Chamber begging Mickey to not shoot Eddie, revealing
that they are in fact twin brothers. At this news Mickey starts screaming that
he wishes he had been given away so he could be Eddie. At this point the
gun accidentally goes off, shooting and killing Eddie. At the same time the
armed police shoot and kill Mickey (The Council Chamber).
As the superstition said, when the twin brothers found out about the other’s
existence they both died simultaneously.
We are back to the opening scene, two dead bodies lie on the floor of a
Council Chamber. The Narrator recaps the story. Mrs Johnstone, crying,
sings of how she wishes the sad reality of the situation wasn’t true.
6
Mickey:
Relationships with:



Mrs Johnstone - his mother—relies on her when he is in trouble—at
end feels betrayed by her;
Edward—thinks he’s soft at first—natural affinity between them—
enjoys his company “Blood Brother”—jealous of his success—feels
betrayed by him at the end—kills him;
Linda- grew up with her- she’s one of the gang— finally admits that he
loves her—gets her pregnant—marries her—jealous of her friendship
with Edward.
Actions:
1. Makes friends with Edward —plays games of “killing” with pretend guns;
2. Gets suspended from school—dislikes school (no encouragement from
home to get a good education);
3. Leaves school at first opportunity and gets first job available—has no
qualifications;
4. Gets Linda pregnant —marries her—loses job;
5. Joins Sammy in the robbery;
6. Gets sent to prison for 7 years—cannot cope and gets depressed- takes
antidepressants and becomes addicted;
7. Cannot get back to reality when he leaves prison;
8. Goes to the council chamber and kills Edward.
Page
Reference:
Quotation:
fun-loving / lively
poor
friendly
shy with girls
7
responsible hardworking
independent
proud
desperate
loving
bitter / angry
foolish /
irresponsible
Edward:
Relationships with:




Mrs Lyons (his mother)—loves her but thinks she is over protective;
Mrs Johnstone - strong attachment — thinks she is very kind and
understanding;
Linda— loves her but never lets her know—helps her when she is in
trouble—protective towards her;
Mickey- envies his relaxed upbringing—”Blood Brothers”—fails to
appreciate gulf between them caused by education and class.
Actions:
1. Meets Mickey and defies parents to continue the friendship;
2. Allows his friendship with Mickey to get him into trouble;
3. Goes to boarding school—gets expelled because of the locket;
4. Goes to University—grows away from Mickey;
5. Works for the council;
8
6. Gets a house for Mickey and Linda;
7. Gets a job for Mickey.
Words to describe
Character:
Page
Reference:
Quotation:
Privileged
Lonely
Jealous
Friendly
spoilt/over-protected
immature
intelligent
supportive
loyal
trustworthy
generous
insensitive
disloyal
9
Linda:
Relationships with:



Mickey- has always loved him—marries him —stands by him when he
goes to prison—tries to get him off his drugs;
Edward—likes him as a friend —turns to him when she needs help with
Mickey;
Mrs Johnstone—lives with her after her marriage.
Actions:
1. Plays with the two boys when she is young—as an equal—better shot than
the boys—sticks up for Mickey against Sammy;
2. Gets pregnant and marries Mickey;
3. Goes to visit Mickey when he is in prison;
4. Tries to persuade Mickey to give up the drugs;
5. Goes to Edward when she needs help and depends on Edward;
6. Only wants to help Mickey.
Words to describe
Character:
Protective
Page
Reference:
Quotation:
loyal as a child &
adult
determined
independent /
forceful
takes control
loving
patient
fun-loving
10
Mrs Johnstone:
Relationships with:
 Mrs Lyons—- employer---employee - allows her to take one of the
twins - distrusts her;
 Mickey he is her baby - overprotective! Indulgent;
 Sammy and Donna Marie—forgives them for any mistakes (even
Sammy);
 Edward—-tries to be his friend wants to keep in touch;
 Linda supports her when Mickey goes to jail;
 Her husband---marries him because she is pregnant.
Actions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Gives one of the twins away;
Gets a job with Mrs Lyons;
Gets into debt;
Moves to the country;
Gives Edward a locket;
Allows Mickey and Linda to live with her after their marriage;
Tells Mickey that Edward is his twin;
Sees both her sons killed.
Words to describe
Character:
Page
Reference:
Quotation:
Optimistic
fun-loving
sympathetic / kind
good sense of
humour
survivor
loving mother
hard-working
11
irresponsible
superstitious
attractive
religious
Mrs Lyons:
Relationships with:



Mr Lyons—loves him but is prepared to deceive him into thinking that
Edward is their son;
Mrs Johnstone—employs her and takes advantage of her situation to
fulfill her obsession with having a child;
Edward- loves him but is scared of losing him or of him finding out the
truth about his parentage—wants to protect him from realities of life.
Actions:
1. Persuades Mrs Johnstone to allow her to have one of the twins— deceives
her husband;
2. Worries that Mrs Johnstone may give away her secret or take Edward
away from her— uses Mrs Johnstone’s superstitious nature to get her own
way;
3. Tries to end the friendship between Edward and Mickey;
4. Becomes so frightened that she persuades Mr Lyons to move to the
country;
5. Gives Edward the best education that she can;
6. Threatens Mrs Johnstone with a knife;
7. Spies on Linda and Edward and tells Mickey that Edward and Linda are
having an affair;
8. Goes to the council chamber and sees Edward shot.
12
Words to describe
Character:
Page
Reference:
Quotation:
Lonely
Possessive
superstitious (later
on)
privileged / well-off
neurotic / mad
bitter / full of hatred
unhappy
guilt-ridden
jealous
13
Superstition;







Mrs Johnstone is superstitious at the start of the play. She is concerned
when Mrs Lyons places a pair of shoes on the table. Superstition is
used to reflect education and class. The better education you receive
or social class you belong to, the less superstitious you are likely to be.
(pg 8)
Further into Act 1, Mrs Lyons uses the fact that Mrs Johnstone is
superstitious against her with the invention of the superstition that
twins secretly parted at birth would “both die immediately” if they are
reunited. However, this is merely an invention by Mrs Lyons to ensure
Mrs Johnstone does not interfere in the raising of ‘her’ child. (Pg 19)
The narrator sings about various superstitions in the song ‘Shoes Upon
the Table’. (Pg 19) The song is also repeated on page 36. This is to
reflect the irrational behaviour that Mrs Lyons has been displaying.
She cannot explain her true fears about Edward to her husband and,
when trying to, she notices a pair of shoes on the table and rushes to
remove them. This episode is used to illustrate the decline of her
character.
A reference to superstition is used to show the influence that Mrs
Johnstone has over the seven year old Edward. In a bid to escape his
over-protective ‘mother’, Edward seeks out the friendship of Mickey.
Mrs Johnstone, upon realising who her son’s ‘blood brother’ is,
immediately sends him home with the thought that the ‘bogeyman’ will
get him. Edward, later that night, asks his mother about this
reference. She laughs at him and dismisses his question by saying, “it
is the sort of thing a silly mother might say to her children.”(Pg 28)
The narrator supports the idea of superstition throughout the play
through the songs ‘There’s Gypsies in the Woods’ and ‘The Devil’s Got
Your Number.’. The latter song is used to show times when Mrs Lyons
is fearful of losing her grasp of Edward – any time she believes him to
be with Mickey or Mrs Johnstone. (pg 34)
In Act 2 as Linda and Mickey’s relationship blossoms (because of
Eddie) the narrator makes another reference to ‘the bogeyman’ – even
at this time of happiness for Linda and Mickey, the audience still has
the suggestion that something bad is going to happen. It is the
narrator, once again who keeps the idea of superstition at the front of
the audience’s mind. (pg 67)
At the end of the play, the superstition invented by Mrs Lyons comes
true. (pg 82) The narrator also asks the question, do we blame
superstition or class?
14
Fate:
‘I could have been him’. This is a strong theme in the play.
How did FATE play a hand in giving two identical twins such different
lives?
Work through the play and make notes on any aspect of FATE that you find:
Pg Ref:
Essay notes:
15
Class:
The theme of ‘class’ is shown through many different ideas in the play:
1. The way Mickey and Eddie’s parents treat them;
2. The language they use;
3. Where they live;
4. Their education;
5. Their treatment by other characters (for example – the police);
6. The work they do;
7. The power they have.
Use your knowledge of the play to make notes for each aspect of this theme:
Theme
Mickey
1.
Mrs J is very understanding and
generous with her affection – indulgent
and overprotective – easy going –
helpful - approachable
2.
Eddie
Well-spoken with a good vocabulary –
talks of ‘mummy and daddy’ and refers
to the dictionary. But language also
reveals lack of awareness.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
16
Compare how the police woman (Blood Brothers Act 2 Scene 7) speaks to
the two mothers differently, and what this reveals about their status in
society.
Mrs Johnstone
Mrs Lyons
17
Violence – play and real;
In ‘Blood Brothers’ there are numerous references to guns:

The children play with guns. When we first meet Mickey on page
20, he is carrying a toy gun. He has been playing mounted police and
Indians – he brags about killing 3000 Indians. He mimes shooting the
gun at his mother “Mam, you’re dead!”. “Genocide” loses its magic
when Mickey gets bored. (page 21) Sammy and Mickey fall out on
page 25 because Sammy has stolen Mickey’s “best gun”.

There is a fantasy scene where guns become bombs and more
and more people get killed. Pages 30 – 31 – the song ‘Kids
Games’. What starts off with guns, becomes ‘bazookas and then a
nuclear bomb. But the magic of the game is that “if you cross your
fingers and count to ten you can get off the ground again.” This
violence is only pretend.

Edward’s father gives him a toy gun when Eddie returns home after
meeting Mickey for the first time. Like Mickey, Eddie mimes shooting
his father. Mr Lyons mimes his death.

Edward gives Mickey a toy gun on page 40. The gift is given as a
farewell as Eddie is moving to the country with his parents.

Linda asserts her dominance by shooting a pellet gun (page 36).
Edward is greatly impressed by Linda’s skill, but Mickey grows sulky at
the thought of being shown up by a girl – “It gets broke if y’use it too
much.”

Sammy pulls the knife on the bus conductor on page 49. Mickey
is on the verge of getting involved but Linda, always protective of
Mickey, stops him.

The teenagers fire at the rifle range – page 63. The boys let Linda
take the shots, but she misses all three. The boys show mock-outrage,
but the scene soon moves on to another game – piggy in the middle.

When Eddie and Linda meet to start their romance he mimes
the firing of a gun- page 78.

Sammy kills during the robbery – page 72. This is where the
violence turns real. The ‘shooters’ were supposed to be a threat, but
not used. However, in the event things go horribly wrong and both
Sammy and Mickey are apprehended.
18

“The gun explodes and blows Eddie apart” – page 82. Mickey is
uncontrollable with rage at the news that Mrs Johnstone gave Eddie
away. His jealousy and rage leads to the accidental firing of the gun.

“Four guns explode blowing Mickey away” – page 82. Believing
they are dealing with a mad man, the police can take no chances.
They respond with brutal force to the shooting of Edward.
The events detailed above seem to show a progression in the violent
references in the play. What starts as harmless fun, soon progresses. What
you need to think about now is WHY this happens.
What causes the violence to become real?
DANCING - Hope and Happiness or Misery?
Dancing is a recurring theme in ‘Blood Brothers’, but it can have two very
different explanations. On one hand, it symbolises hope, happiness and the
ability to dream about the future. On the other hand, it can also suggest
that life is a sinister dance that, once caught up in, you cannot escape.
Look at the page references listed below and explain the references to
dancing in that scene.
Page Ref:
Explanatory Notes about the theme:
Page 5
Mrs Johnstone sings about her husband and the situation she
now finds herself in.
Page 44
Mrs Johnstone dances with a picture of the pope.
19
Page 46
Mrs Johnstone dances with Joe.
Page 46
The Judge: “And, could I take you dancing?”
Page 47
“He’s even started dancing, secret dancing”.
Page 47
‘Mrs Lyons enters, waltzing with a very awkward fourteen
year old Edward.”
Page 61
‘Edward grabs Linda’s mate and begins to waltz her around.”
Page 73
“We’re goin’ dancin’. Right? Then we’re goin’ for a slap-up
meal.”
Page 74
“His mind’s gone dancing”
20
Dreams
Most of the characters in ‘Blood Brothers’ dream of attaining happiness and
fulfillment by escaping from the life they have at present, but they cannot
escape. They’re living on the never, never, the devil’s at their door, broken
bottles are in the sand and there is always a price to pay.
Complete the table below, explaining the dreams of each of the characters:
Page ref:
Quotation:
Page 6
“With a wife he said was twice
the size of Marilyn Monroe”
Page 11
“If my child was raised in a
place like this one, he wouldn’t
have to worry where his next
meal was coming from.”
Page 21
“ I wish I was our Sammy.”
Page 27
“Darling, I’m sorry, but if we
can complete this merger, I
will, I promise you, have more
time.”
Page 35
There’s nothing wrong with my
nerves. It’s just … this place.
I hate it… I want to move”
Page 41
“I wish I could be like … my
friend”
Explanation of the dream:
21
Page 42
“Oh bright new day, we’re
goin’ away.”
Page 55
“I wish I was a little bit like
that guy.”
Page 65
“If I was the guy … we’d while
away the hour making future
plans.”
Page 71
“You’re still a kid. An’ I wish I
could be as well.”
Page 77
“The girl would sing the
melody, but the woman stands
in doubt and wonders what the
price would be for letting the
young girl out.”
Page 82
“I could have been him!”
Now you’ve made these notes, explain in detail what the dreams of each of
the main characters are. Do their dreams change as the play goes on?
What stops them from achieving their dream?





Mickey
Eddie
Mrs Lyons
Mrs Johnstone
Linda
22
The historical role of the narrator:

The role of the narrator is a theatrical device which originated in
Ancient Greek theatre. The earliest example of this dates back to
450BC and a play which consisted of two actors. It was a tragedy and
the theme was concerned with moral judgements.

In ‘Blood Brothers’, the first twelve lines spoken by the narrator tell the
whole story, yet it is used to encourage the audience to make their
own judgements.

In early plays, the chorus (the narrator) would be a group of actors
interacting with others on the stage. However, in modern plays the
narrator is more often used as a commentator who stands back from
the dramatic action and acts as an observer.

In ‘Blood Brothers’, the narrator has several roles. He plays parts
within the action of the play (milkman, gynaecologist, etc) but he is
also the commentator.

The use of the narrator in ‘Blood Brothers’ is very similar to how
narrators were used by Shakespeare in Elizabethan England. The
narrator is an individual character who speaks the prologue and
provides explanatory links between the scenes.

The narrator in ‘Blood Brothers’ also provides details on the characters
and helps the audience prepare for the changes in mood or scene.
In ‘Blood Brothers’, the narrator has different functions.
For each function listed below, find evidence from the play:

In the opening, the narrator gives us the bare facts – like the prologue
from ‘Romeo and Juliet’;
23

Throughout the play, the narrator directs the audience to think about and
question the characters – what motivates them? How are they influenced
by their personal circumstances? How are their personal circumstances
affected by their social class?

The narrator is there to highlight points of dramatic tension;

The narrator supports the idea of superstition;

Tells the story;

Gives missing years meaning - Keeps the audience up to date;

Shows that the problems of social class continue from generation to
generation.
24
The songs serve a very specific function – besides being entertaining. Each
song carries the narrative forward and heightens the atmosphere.
Song Title / page ref:
Tone:
Narrative meaning:
1. Overture (5)
2. Marilyn Monroe (5/6)
3. My Child (11)
4. Easy Terms (14/15)
5. Shoes upon the Table
(19)
6. July 18th (24)
7. Kids’ Game (30)
8. Gypsies in the Woods
(34)
9. Long Sunday
Afternoon / My Friend
(41)
25
10. Bright New Day (42)
11. Marilyn Monroe 2
(46)
12. Secrets (52/53)
13. That Guy (55)
14. Summer Sequence
(62 / 63)
15. I’m Not Saying a
Word (65)
16. One day in October
(66 / 67)
17. Take a Letter Miss
Jones (68/69)
18. Robbery (73)
19. Light Romance /
Madman (77-79)
20. Council Chamber
(82)
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1. How are the themes of class and society explored through Mickey and
Eddie?
2. At the beginning of the play, the Narrator describes Mrs Johnstone as
‘the mother, so cruel’. What do YOU think of Mrs Johnstone? Give
reasons for what you say.
3. For which character do you have more sympathy, Mickey or Edward?
Show how Willy Russell’s presentation of the character helps to create
this response.
4. Write about the differences in the ways Edward and Mickey were
brought up, and the effects these differences had on them.
5. To what extent do you feel sympathy for Mrs Lyons?
6. ‘The tragic outcome is inevitable from the very start of the play.’
Discuss this statement, with detailed reference to the text.
7. How do the songs in ‘Blood Brothers’ contribute to an audience’s
appreciation of the play.
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