Dramatic Devices in Blood Brothers Essay

How Does Willy Russell use Dramatic Devices in Act One to Convey his Ideas

to the Audience as well as Interest and Involve them in the Play?

Willy Russell uses many devices to hook the audience and to keep them interested in Act One and throughout the play.

One method Russell employs this is the use of the narrator. Russell begins the play with the narrator telling the audience what is going to happen, this is the prologue. This means that throughout the play the audience knows something the characters dont. This is known as dramatic irony. Dramatic irony has been used on stage for centuries. It is an effective way of grabbing the audiences attention.

The narrator is also used to remind the audience throughout the play that it will end in tragedy. For example, the frequent reference to superstition, Theres shoes on the table, a joker in the pack, The salt was spilled and the mirrors cracked

The narrator creates a threatening, ominous feeling in the play; the narrator is used by Russell to bring the audience back down from the comical side of the play.

Another device used by Russell is the stage directions. The stage directions are used to link the scenes, but also to set the tone. However, the stage directions are also written for the actors. The stage directions are what makes Russell completely in charge and able to manipulate the audiences perception of the characters. For instance, Russell first introduces Mrs Johnstone by describing her in the stage directions as thirty, but looks sixty. This immediately informs the audience that Mrs Johnstone has had a hard life and looks old because of it. Russell changes the audiences views on many matters throughout the play by simply using the stage directions. Russell has made the stage directions detailed enough for him to do this.

Russell has also described clearly what sort of feel each song has. Russell has ensured every song has its own meaning and feel to it.

Act One sets the feel for the rest of the play, where things get darker as it leads up to the inevitable tragedy. Act One prepares the audience for the tragedy.

Act One also gives the audience the chance to decide on the characters motives and roles in the play.

Blood Brothers is a play about twin brothers that were separated at birth and brought up in different social classes. Mickey is the twin kept by his mother and is brought up in a working class environment. Eddie is adopted by the rich, upper class Mrs Lyons. Russell asks the question, is it your environment that shapes you, or is it your genes, the classic debate between nature and nurture. Is it your environment that makes you what you are, or is this already pre determined at birth?

Russell has based Blood Brothers in working class Liverpool. He has done this because he was born and brought up in this environment. Russell uses Blood Brothers to express his own opinion on class and social status, and how it can shape where you go in life and how people see you.

Russell shows the audience that their preconceptions are not always accurate by telling the audience in the prologue that Mrs Johnstone is cold hearted and cruel, Who saw her children wrenched apart, That woman, with a stone in place of her heart? and then throughout Act One making Mrs Lyons appear like the selfish, cruel one and making the audience feel for Mrs Johnstone and think about whether they would act the same in her situation. Mrs Lyons is shown to take advantage of Mrs Johnstone and use her to get what she wants. Mrs Johnstone is portrayed as a caring woman who loves her children enough to give one up to give them a better chance in life.

Mrs Johnstone cannot give her children material possessions but she can give them love. Mrs Lyons can give a child everything money can buy, but not a mothers love.

Russell successfully keeps the audience captivated in Act One by using dramatic devices and techniques.