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Given out: 3rd October / Hand in: 10th October
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Blood Brothers

In this homework you will be preparing your learning for the next unit of work, Blood Brothers. You will need to learn about the play, its characters and the era in which it is set to give you a background for the lessons in school.

1.  Based on the advert for the play above write in 50 words what you think this play is about.

2.  Read the following information and complete the tasks that follow.

Blood Brothers is a play that follows the lives of two boys, Mickey Johnstone and Edward Lyons who become friends. They both live in Liverpool but come from completely different worlds socially due to wealth and class.

Liverpool was a thriving seaport in the 19th century and it is a city of many contrasts. In the 20th century it was a place of financial depression, which led to unemployment and strikes. This led to a big gap between the rich and the poor. Unemployment reached 25% in the 1980s and at the time the play is set, factories were closing down. At the start of act 2, Sammy Johnstone is already on the dole, and the scenes illustrate how this rising unemployment badly affects Mickey Johnstone’s life and tempts him into crime. Being out of work creates low self–esteem; particularly for traditional men who feel they need to support their family. This is an underlying theme in Blood Brothers.

Blood Brothers is set in Liverpool, between the 1950s and the 1970s. At the time, people strongly disapproved of sex before marriage and this is why Mrs Johnstone ‘has to’ marry quickly. Divorce was uncommon and this is another reason the neighbours might disapprove of her.

Although the 1945 Education act had made grammar schools free, working class children had to pass the 11+ exams to gain entry to the grammar schools. The pass mark was kept deliberately high. Few children were allowed the privilege of a grammar school education, and even if they gained a place, there was no guarantee that they would leave with qualifications, as the school leaving age was 15.

Pupils at grammar schools studied academic subjects and took O levels. Some went on to take A levels, while others were under pressure from parents to leave school, get a job and bring money into the household. There were far fewer university places then, so most would go into employment after school.

Children who failed the 11+ exams would go to a secondary modern school to be prepared for life in the trades. Boys would study practical skills like bricklaying, alongside academic work, and girls would learn how to cook. Many of these schools were under-funded. If pupils were not considered ‘bright’ they were not allowed to take CSEs. These qualifications were not worth as much as O Levels, taken at grammar school. (GCSEs are much more inclusive) So it was common for children to leave school without any qualifications at all. It was more difficult for them to get on in life.

There is a clearly established link between poverty and under-achievement at school. Edward Lyons is sent to a private, fee-paying boarding school and will take O levels, A levels and go on to university. Mickey leaves school and goes into employment; things go wrong when he is made redundant.

Council houses were the homes of most working class people in the 1950s and 1960s. The terraced houses had a lot to recommend them, but they were also cramped and lacked inside toilets and bathrooms. They did not have central heating and were heated mostly by coal fires. Their inner city locations were often dirty and there was nowhere for children to play as they rarely had gardens.

One of the playwright’s aims is to show us that there are disadvantages to being poor and working class. The failure to succeed in life is not because of a lack of ability, but a lack of opportunity. This can clearly be seen in Edward and Mickey.

3.  Complete the table below for each family giving key points to show the differences for both.

  1. What education would Mickey Johnstone have compared to Edward Lyons?
  2. What type of employment would both families be expected to have?
  3. What were the houses like for each family?

Johnstone Family (poor) / Lyons Family (rich)
Education
Employment
Housing

4.  Using the table above write a paragraph to compare the two families. You will be marked on your quality of communication, spelling, punctuation and grammar. (include information such as, housing, education, employment, social issues…)

5.  The first meeting between Eddie and Mickey takes place in the street outside Mickey’s terraced council house. Create a set design for this scene using descriptions from the earlier text and your own research of Liverpool during that time. Your set design must include a detailed backdrop on all 3 walls, any props on stage, colour and labels.

5.  Using the images below answer the following questions.

Label the characters Edward Lyons and Mickey Johnstone

Give 3 reasons why you have chosen to label the actor as that character

1.

2.

3.

Draw an arrow to the main character(s) in this image?

Why have you chosen this/these characters as the main ones? Try to include at least 3 reasons.