Blood Brothers Context

context:

blood brothers

history, culture and society

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mass poverty

1960s

'teenagers'

1960s

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dock downfall

1970s

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liverpudlian culture

1960s-1983

on the dole

1980s

author;s intention

1983

The hard left destroyed the economy of Liverpool in the 1980s. We can't let them run BritainThe Militant movement of the 1980s is back, rebranded as Momentum. But while the hard left make empty promises of free money and utopia, we...Politics Home

mass poverty

In the 1960s, Liverpool became known as a dilapidated, run down area due to extreme lack of wealth and economic hardship. Many families in Liverpool housed over 5 children, and as a result, their already small households would become overcrowded, sometimes with up to 8 sharing one bedroom or sleeping space. Places like Toxteth and Kirkdale featured various 'slums' - low quality homes with very limited to no access to essentials such as water, toilets and transportation. Lack of investment led to an increased presence of such spaces in society, and the government seemed not to care.

'Teenagers'

The 1960s saw a huge rise in the rebellion of young people against traditional roles in society. The concept of 'teenagehood' was introduced to society; previously, a person went straight from child to adult on turning the age deemed ready to bear the responsibilitis of being grown - having children, getting married etc. In the 60s, self expression became a huge trend, particularly in Liverpool, the birthplace of 'The Beatles', a rock music band that quickly took the world by storm, preaching uniqueness and distinct identity. With the rise of alternative pop came the invention of various new subcultures in fashion and lifestyle, which heavily influenced social attitudes, causing a wave of progressive, 'woke' thinking and a rejection of traditional outlooks in the younger generation.

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ug_ZhYrxxI

docks

the downfall

The 1970s were a huge turning point for the Liverpool docks.

'on the dole'

government welfare for the unemployed

weekly wages vs unemployment

how much did you get on the dole?

strikes on the dole

a manifestation of public fury

Where to watch Blood Brothers...

Blood BrothersTheatreroyal

Blood Brothers UK Tour - Grand Opera House York - Life of PippaLife of Pippa

Blood Brothers - Birmingham HippodromeBirminghamhippodrome

Blood Brothers UK TourKenwright

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weekendnotes.co.uk%2Fblood-brothers-the-musical-uk-tour%2F&psig=AOvVaw0_-6xuGNn1Nw9efk2sTAvG&ust=1729175370421000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCJi8n6-Ok4kDFQAAAAAdAAAAABBf

Blood Brothers Tickets | Musicals Tours & Dates | ATG TicketsATG Tickets

Multi award-winning production of BLOOD BROTHERS announces latest UK tour dates | West End Best FriendWest End Best Friend

Blood Brothers - Palace Theatre - North West End UKNorth West End UK

Addiitonally, society remained one of male dominance and patriarchal values. Therefore, girls generally were steered towards subjects such as sewing and home economics while boys learned the fundamentals of academia.

Lack of resourcing and funding, particularly in the areas more affected by poverty, led to overwhelming class sizes and an abundance of students in comparison to teachers within public schoolrooms.This meant that children didn't necessarily receive adequate learning, and hence were not given the same opportunities as were widely bestowed upon wealthier areas of England. Going to a grammar school was a huge symbol of wealth and privelige, and rarely did the working class acheive such.

Schools

Liverpool Housing Crisis 1960s

Edward: "What's your name?"Mickey: "Micheal Johnstone but everyone calls me Mickey. What's yours?"Edward: "Edward Lyons."Mickey: "D' they call y' Eddie?"Edward: "No."

ACT 1, page 30

Class Difference

While Mickey is referred to by a nickname, Edward has none, and is only regarded by his proper name throughout the script, despite the shorter 'Eddie' given to him early on by his 'blood brother'. This, in addition to Mickey's obviously accented speech, highlights the polar opposite upbringings of the two protagonists, Mickey's of working class poverty, and Edward's of upper class privilege, and the parallel of rich versus poor that prevails as a constant theme throughout the play.

Narrator: And only if the three of them could stay like that for ever,And only if we could predict no changes in the weather,And only if we didn't live in life, as well as dreamsAnd only if we could stop and be for ever, just eighteen

act 2, page 83

Transition

Here, age is used as a symbol for change, as the three protagonists, Linda, Mickey and Edward each individually face a new path upon bypassing 18. The anaphora of 'and only', applied to wishful statements that could never come true - the weather always changes, dreams do not match reality, and the trio cannot always remain 18. This ties into the context of the play, as, with the new popularized term 'teenager', adolescence, characterized by the period between 13 and 18, being a time of acceptance of self, of breaking societal norms and living freely, without the responsibilities that came with being an adult. From the desire for the leads to 'be for ever, just eighteen', conveyed is the extremity of adjustment from 'teenagehood' to adulthood, foreshadowing how such may be particularly challenging for the main three.

As time passed, Liverpool's docks and traditional manufacturing industries went into a drastic decline. By 1971, most of the smaller South End docks had shut down, some mere decades after opening. Additionally, a shift in shipping practices and containerization, which Liverpool struggled to adapt to assauge led to a huge downfall in shipping and utilisation. This ultimately caused a series of mass job losses, as areas that once stood as proud landmarks of what the city was capable of became run-down and unsafe. Docks that once flourished morphed into derelict, abandoned crime-hubs.

Liverpool's Dock Dilemma

Liverpool - Albert Docks

'Liverpool nightclubs and bars where we boogied in the 1970s' - Liverpool Echo

Doleites:Dry your eyes, Miss JonesIt's not as bad as it seemsYou get used to being idleIn a year or twoUnemployment's such a pleasureThese days, we call it leisureIt's just another sign of the times,Miss Jones, it'sJust another sign of the times

Act 2

Unemployment

Doleites were a group of people who were 'on the dole'; receiving government welfare (benefits) for unemployment. By calling Mickey's job loss and misfortune 'another sign of the times', the author highlights the commonality of joblessness in the area, which was largely due to the closing down of the Liverpool docks. Furthermore, unemployment being 'such a pleasure' amplifies the effect of this inference, suggesting it's societal prevailance to be 'so bad it's good'; people are so hypnotized by it's inadequacy that they become grotesquely mystified or fascinated with such. Also, the pleasurable description of the devastating job loss correlates to the 'bittersweet' theme of the text, seen in the frequent ostensible adulation and glamourisation of the proletariat lifestyle.

Liverpool's famous Royal Albert Docks in the 1970s

A primary school in 1960s Liverpool

In the 1980s, the average weekly earnings in the UK was between £120 and £140. Despite this, the (Conservative) governement only supplied £25 to £30 per person via the Supplementary Benefit Scheme. Given that many households followed traditional roles, this meant there would be only one person earning any income, and would leave large families starving and struggling to survive.Even those with jobs found themselves economically uncomfortable, and poverty was a significant issue for England in this time.

'Giz a job' (Give us a job) was a Liverpudlian movement in the 1980s in rebellion against the mass unemployment and Thatcherism of the time. On May 1st, 1981, 500 jobless Liverpudlians (Scousers) took to the streets, and, with the support of local church administrations, marched the 200 miles to London in protest of the Docks' closure and staggering changes in manufacting in Liverpool, with 250,000 signatures in hand.The march cost £70,000 to deliver, 500 people being deemed the maximum number donations could feed and clothe over the month of protest (until June 1st of the same year).

People's March for Jobs

Since its first performance at Liverpool Playhouse on January 8th 1983, Blood Brothers has taken over the theatrical universe, and is often implemented in school curriculums to this day, teaching students about important issues in society while giving them something entertaining to watch and act out themselves.

Funnily enough, Willy Russell's intial intention with the musical was to entertain audiences, rather than provide a deep and heartfelt social commentary on Liverpool's economical politics. The play started with the idea of the curse of separated twins - an idea that 'sent shivers up [his] spine'.However, the play soon evolved into an exhibition of the damaging impacts social inequality can have on people's lives, and a form of raising awareness for the featured socio-economic hardships and battles.

Why write 'Blood Brothers'?

WillyRussell.com