Poverty in the UK

What percentage of children in the UK do you think live in poverty?

27% (3.5 million)

‘Poverty’ in the UK means living on less than £100 per week for a single adult, or £268 per week for two adults living with two children. (That equals less than £14’000 per year for a family of four)

Poor Kids and Friggin’ Poshies: An Introduction to Blood Brothers

L.O.To explore the context of the play.

To be introduced to the main theme of the play.

Poverty and Its Repercussions

Why does poverty, particularly child poverty, matter?

Does it just mean not having a 3D TV and an iPhone, and not eating out for dinner?

Poverty and Its Repercussions

Charity ad

BBC Documentary“Life is really bleak for our

poorest kids”

So, does poverty matter?

Statistics show that, in the UK today, wealthier children will:- Live longer lives- Get better qualifications- Get better jobs- Earn hundreds of thousands of pounds more - Have better life experiences

than their poorer peers.

How is all this relevant?

Blood Brothers, by Willy Russell, concerns two families, the Lyons and the Johnstones. One family is middle class (wealthy). The other is low class (extremely poor).

The story is driven by the differences between the two families, and what they mean for their children.

Themes of the play

Social class and money are two key themes of the play.

Make a list of everything you know about Liverpool.

Liverpool is where the Writer Willy Russell is from and the setting for the play Blood Brothers.

• Liverpool was a rich seaport city in the 19th century.

• In the 20th century, it became a place of financial depression, which led to unemployment and strikes.

•There was a big gap between the rich and the poor.

Information about Liverpool

Watch the video clip: how might the demise of the docks have affected Mrs

Johnstone and her family?

History of Liverpool docks

The World’s Most Famous Prologue

• What can you remember about the prologue from Romeo and Juliet?

Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;Whose misadventured piteous overthrowsDo with their death bury their parents' strife.The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,And the continuance of their parents' rage,Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;The which if you with patient ears attend,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

p. 5

N.B.Page references

are from the Methuen Student

Editions book, Bloomsbury

(1995).

Why use a prologue?

• Why do you think playwrights sometimes use prologues?

• Do you think it just ‘spoils the story’?• What benefits might it have?

What expectations do you have of Blood Brothers?

Prologue of Blood BrothersSo, did you ever hear the story of the Johnstone twinsAs like each other as two new pinsOf one womb born on the self same dayHow one was kept, one given away

And did you never hear how the Johnstones died, neverKnowing they shared one nameTil' the day they died,When a mother criedMy own dear sons lie slain

And did you never hear of a mother so cruelThat there's a stone in place of her heartThen bring her on, and judge for yourselvesHow she came to play this part

1. What do we learn about Mrs Johnstone’s two sons on the first page? Include quotations.

2. How do we know that the musical will result in tragedy? Use two quotations.

3. How would you describe the atmosphere at the beginning of the musical? Use quotations to explain your answer.

‘Once I had a husband’ … to ‘And we’ll go dancing’ on p.7.

Explain what life is like for:a) Mrs Johnstoneb) Her children

p. 5 - 7

Think about the different pressures, needs and desires of adults and children.

What do you think of Mrs Johnstone?Do you feel sympathy? Why?What is Willy Russell telling us about Liverpool social class?

The Johnstones vs. The Lyons

• Read p. 7 - 9

• Mindmap the main differences between the two families. Use at least one quotation for each.

Consider the role of the narrator. How many different characters has he played so far? Why might Russell have done this? How is he different to a traditional narrator?

p. 7 - 9

The Johnstones vs. The Lyons

• Read p. 9 - 16

1. What are your impressions of Mrs Lyons? (PEE)

2. Do you have any sympathy for her?3. Do you agree with Mrs Johnstone’s decision to

give up one of her babies in order to save the others? Can you think of anything else she could have done?

p. 9 - 16

PEE Paragraphs

Point: Mrs Lyons is a _______ character.

Evidence: For example, she says, “…

Explain: This shows the reader that…

A-grade sentence: Her use of the verb/adjective/adverb ___, in particular, shows that…

What Evidence Can I Use?

With plays, you can use:- Direct speech (what the character says)- What other characters say about someone- Stage directions (their actions)

What kind of person does Mrs Lyons seem to be?

Discuss what the following statements suggest about her.

“We thought children would come along”

“Oh it seems such a long time…he’ll be back in about five months’ time.”

“Mrs Johnstone, with two more children how can you possibly avoid some of them being put into care?”

What superstitions do you have?

Bad luck superstitions

Walking under a ladder

Seeing one magpie

Breaking a mirror

Spilling salt

Opening an umbrella indoors

The number 13

Overtaking someone on the stairs

Putting new shoes on the table

Good luck superstitions

Why are superstitions relevant to Blood

Brothers?

Why can placing shoes on the table be considered bad luck?

Do some research and find out!

Dialect vs. Accent

• The term dialect should not be confused with the term accent.Accent: the pronunciationDialect: the pronunciation, vocabulary, and

grammar

• The so-called ‘best’ English accent:• The Received Pronunciation (RP)• It is also called the Queen’s English, Oxford

English, and BBC English

Accent

The way words are pronounced: the way words sound.

What accents can you think of?

Dialect

The words that are used.

The language of a particular area.

Can you think of any words you use that might be considered dialogue?

What role do accent and dialogue play in Blood Brothers?

Scouse Accent

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfIAoF8gEc

What stereotypes do we associate with dialects?

Is there a particular accent you dislike? Explain why.

1. In Blood Brothers, how much do accent and dialect show a character’s social class?

2. Find an example of a ‘poor kid’ and a ‘friggin’ poshie’ statement.

p. 16 - 20

• Why does Mrs Lyons want to fire Mrs Johnstone? What is she so afraid of?

• Are her actions/emotions excusable? Understandable? What kind of person do you think she is?

p. 20 - 22

Mickey is now a young boy. This is the first of a number of large time-leaps in the play.

Why do you think Russell has chosen not to use scenes within his play?

p. 22 - 27

Mickey and Edward meet and become best friends straight away.

Find two ways that Russell shows their:a) Similaritiesb) Differences

p. 27 - 29

Mrs Johnstone is alone because her husband left her.

Why is Mrs Lyons lonely?

Write down 3 impressions of Mrs Lyons’ character in this section of the play. Why does she react so strongly to Edward swearing? (Use evidence in your answers).

p. 30 - 32The kids’ game.

SammyLindaKidCowboySergeantCorporalRestProfessorMickeyEdward

Foreshadowing.

What does foreshadowing mean?

Can you find any examples of foreshadowing from the play?

Finishing Act I

p. 33 - 37

SammyLindaMickeyEdwardMr LyonsMrs LyonsPoliceman

Finishing Act Ip. 37 - 42

PolicemanMrs JohnstoneMr LyonsMrs LyonsEdwardWoman

Finishing Act Ip. 42 - 45

Mrs JohnstoneMickeyDonna MarieSammyNeighbourMilkmanPoliceman

Blood Brothers – Act 1

• Sum up the events of Act 1 in 5 sentences.

• Make one prediction for Act II.