1. Lesson Objective: Examine the Background to the Play
Blood Brothers
Lesson Objective:
Examine the Background to the Play

2. Background to the Author
Willy Russell was from Liverpool.
He was from a working class background.
Russell left school at 15 with no qualifications.
He did various difficult and low paid jobs – he trained to be a hairdresser.
Russell then decided to go back to school.
He eventually got all his qualifications and became a teacher.

3. Background to the Play The play was written in the 1980s
In the 80s there was high unemployment
Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister
She introduced ‘free market’ policies which were good for companies and factories but not good for ordinary workers
Liverpool, where the play is set, had particular problems with unemployment

4. Themes in the Play Social Class
Mickey and Eddie are genetically identical.
They were born EXACTLY the same.
The only reason they turn out differently is their upbringing.
The two families, the Johnstone’s and the Lyons’ are meant to represent two different social classes – the workers and the factory owners.
This is shown in many ways.

5. Themes in the Play Nature and Nurture
Although the two boys are brought up differently, similar things happen to them in the play.
Mrs. Lyons is always worried that Eddie will escape from her ‘nurturing’ influence, and go back to his ‘natural’ family and way of life.
The two boys are seen to have a connection and a friendship that would not ‘normally’ happen if they did not have something they don’t know about in common.

6. Themes in the Play Superstition
Superstition is at first only associated with Mrs. Johnstone and seen as a symbol of her lack of education.
Later Mrs. Lyons starts to believe in the superstitions as her own guilt gradually makes her a little bit mad.
The superstition Mrs. Lyons makes up about twins separated at birth dying if they find out, eventually comes true.

7. Themes in the Play Escape
Eddie escapes from his poor family by being adopted.
Mrs. Lyons tries to escape what she has done by moving away.
Mrs. Johnstone escapes some of her problems by being moved out of the inner city.
Willy Russell has escape as a theme in lots of his other work, for example, ‘Educating Rita’, ‘Our Day Out’, ‘Shirley Valentine’