Blood Brothers

Question 1

Who wrote Blood Brothers?

Answer 1

Willy Russell

Question 2

How many children does Mrs. Johnstone have, including the twins?

Answer 2

9

Question 3

Why does the narrator tell the end of the story to the audience before it’s even begun?

Answer 3

So the audience know that the characters can never escape their fate

Question 4

Why does Mrs Johnstone want to be Marilyn Monroe?

Answer 4

Because Marilyn Monroe is used to represent perfection and a glamorous lifestyle.

Question 5

What does “going on the dole” mean?

Answer 5

Claiming benefits

Question 6

When is the play thought to have been set?

Answer 6

1960’s-1980’s

Question 7

Where do the characters move to, to start a new life away from Liverpool?

Answer 7

Skelmersdale

Question 8

What were New Towns?

Answer 8

Small, existing towns, which were extended and redeveloped to provide more housing to near by cities

Question 9

What is youth culture?

Answer 9

When teenagers became properly recognised as an age group; young people had their own culture, different from children and adults

Question 10

When Blood Brothers was written, what was the structure of most families in Britain?

Answer 10

A “nuclear” structure; which included a mother, a father and children

Question 11

Who was priminister when Russell was writing Blood Brothers?

Answer 11

Margaret Thatcher

Question 12

Why were Britain’s traditional industries in decline in the 1970s?

Answer 12

Because they were inefficient and struggling to keep up with foreign competition

Question 13

Why does the play re visit Edward and Mickey every 7 years?

Answer 13

Because science shows that we change the most every 7 years and Marilyn Monroe wrote a book called “every 7 years”

Question 14

Why is Mrs Johnstone superstitious?

Answer 14

Because she has no job, husband or money all she can hope for is no more bad luck and is careful in everything she does

Question 15

Why does the narrator always say “the devil’s got your number?”

Answer 15

To remind the audience that they will never escape fate

Question 16

Why does Mrs Lyons invent a superstition to scare Mrs Johnstone - “if either twin learns that he was once a pair, they will both immediately die”

Answer 16

Because she is so desperate to have a child and keep Edward forever, she doesn’t want Mrs Johnstone to ever reveal the truth. Because she knows Mrs Johnstone is superstitious she uses this to her advantage so that Mrs Johnstone never reveals the truth as she believes both twins will die if she does

Question 17

How is social class a theme throughout the play?

Answer 17

You see how both twins upbringings as children draws their future, Edward wore nice clothing, went to private school and now is a councillor. Mickey wore second hand clothing, went to a public school and ended up in prison.

Question 18

How are the Johnstone and Lyons families different?

Answer 18

Mr Lyons is has a highly successful career and Mrs Lyons just stays at home all day and spends his money. Mrs Johnstone has to be the breadwinner and a mum. Mrs Johnstone is the Lyons cleaner

Question 19

Why does Mr Lyons lack sympathy when he sacks Mickey?

Answer 19

Because his job is stable and if he lost it could easily get another, he doesn’t realise how Mickey feels. Mr Lyons just says it’s a “sign of the times” when he fires his secretary

Question 20

How are names significant in the play?

Answer 20

Mickey is known as his nickname all his life, Mickey, not his real name Michael. Edward, however is know as Edward and is only called Eddie by Mickey.

Question 21

Why is Sammy a big influence on Mickey?

Answer 21

Because he’s Mickey’s older brother and he’s always wanted to be like him.

Question 22

What is the irony when Mrs Lyons sees Edwards locket?

Answer 22

She thinks Edward has a photo of his own face in his locket, but when he tells her it’s Mickey it shows they must look like brothers

Question 23

Why are there only two acts in the play?

Answer 23

Because everything in the play comes in pairs, Edward and Mickey and Act 1 and Act 2

Question 24

Why does Linda have an affair with Edward?

Answer 24

Because when Mickey comes out of prison he is depressed and on pills, Linda doesn’t like how he’s changed and wishes he could go back to how he was before prison

Question 25

Why does Mrs Lyons tell Mickey about Edward and Linda?

Answer 25

Because she wants them to stay away from eachother and by telling Mickey about their affair she thinks they’ll fall out and never speak again.

Question 26

How is Sammy’s childhood like his adulthood?

Answer 26

As a child he played with toy guns and when he became an adult he used real ones.

Question 27

Why does Mickey play games like “baddies and goodies” as a child?

Answer 27

Because it’s a constant reminder to the audience that Mickey and Edward are meant to be together and one day they’ll find out. As a child Mickey played “baddies and goodies” and “cowboys and Indians” There are always two sides, a bad one and a good one

Question 28

What did Mickey think happened to his twin as a child?

Answer 28

He knew he was born as a twin, as Sammy and the other children would have seen two babies born before Edward was handed over, so he was led to believe the other twin died

Question 29

Why does the police man treat the two families differently?

Answer 29

When the children get in trouble with the law, Mrs Johnstone is swore at by the police man and threatened with court. “They’ll be no more bloody warnings”. He also patronises her “Do you understand me?” However, the police man is polite to Mr Lyons advising him not to let Edward “mix with the likes of them”. He removes his helmet - a symbol of authority - which makes him seem less imposing.