Overview: The Birth of Mickey & Edward

Test yourself

Overview: The Plan to Give Mrs. Lyons a Baby

In this scene, Mrs. Lyons convinces Mrs. Johnstone to give her one of her twins.

Mrs. Johnstone asks Mrs. Lyons

When Mrs. Johnstone asks Mrs. Lyons if she is really “that desperate to have a baby”, Mrs. Lyons responds in song.
The song explains how she always imagines having a son of her own, but that he always “fades away”.
It is at this point that Mrs. Johnstone begins to really consider the proposition, imagining the luxurious life her child would have if he “was raised in a palace like this”.

The plan is agreed

Together, the two women imagine the future success of the unborn child, and Mrs. Johnstone agrees to the plan.
Mrs. Lyons repeats her promise to allow Mrs. Johnstone to see the child whenever she wants.

Swearing to secrecy

Mrs. Lyons makes Mrs. Johnstone swear on the Bible never to tell anyone the truth behind the plan.
The Narrator appears again at this moment and tells the audience that “there’s no going back for anyone” from this moment, and that Mrs. Johnstone is in Mrs. Lyons’ debt.

Overview: Mrs. Johnstone Gives Birth

This scene shows Mrs. Johnstone giving birth, with Mrs. Lyons taking Edward.

Bills

The scene then shifts to a hospital, where Mrs. Johnstone has given birth to two boys.
Mrs. Johnstone returns home and is confronted by people she owes money to (the Finance Man and the Catalogue Man), who are demanding she pays them for unsettled bills.
More men enter and begin to remove possessions from the house, and Mrs. Johnstone sings about how the biggest debt of her life is the promise she has made to give one of her sons to Mrs. Lyons.
She sings that her newborn son is “only mine until the time comes round to pay the bill.”

Mrs. Lyons takes a baby

Mrs. Lyons, “still with the pregnancy padding”, is upset because Mrs. Johnstone had failed to notify her about giving birth to the twins.
Mrs. Johnstone asks to “keep them for a few more days, please, please”, but Mrs. Lyons rejects the idea, reminding Mrs. Johnstone that she “swore on the Bible”.
Mrs. Johnstone reluctantly agrees to hand over one of the twins, and Mrs. Lyons tells Mrs. Johnstone to take a week off as maternity leave.
Mrs. Johnstone has to lie to her other children by saying that one of the twins has “gone up to heaven”.

Mrs. Johnstone at work

A week later, Mrs. Johnstone returns to work at Mrs. Lyons’ house.
She spends some time beside the crib of her son, when Mr. Lyons arrives and talks about how proud he is of his wife.
Mrs. Lyons, however, seems angry that Mrs. Johnstone is with the baby, telling her that “he doesn’t want to be picked up”. Mrs. Johnstone is saddened by this, and leaves.

Mrs. Lyons' anger

Mrs. Lyons tells her husband that she is bothered by the way Mrs. Johnstone is “cooing and cuddling as if she were his mother”.
Although Mr. Lyons tries to calm his wife down, she is unmoved and states that she wants them to fire Mrs. Johnstone immediately.
Mr. Lyons gives his wife permission to sack Mrs. Johnstone if that is what she wants, and Mrs. Lyons goes on to ask her husband for 50 pounds because she has “got the nursery to sort out”. Mr. Lyons gives her the money and leaves.

Mrs. Lyons fires Mrs. Johnstone

Mrs. Lyons tells Mrs. Johnstone that she is being sacked because “her work has deteriorated”, and gives her 50 pounds before telling her to never return.
Mrs. Johnstone’s reaction is one of shock, and she says that “if I’m goin’, I’m takin’ my son with me”, threatening to call the police if necessary.
Mrs. Lyons counters this by pointing out that it is Mrs. Johnstone who will be in trouble with the police for essentially selling her baby.

Superstition

Mrs. Johnstone says she will reveal the truth about the twins, and Mrs. Lyons reacts by telling Mrs. Johnstone about a fictional superstition “that if either twin learns he was once a pair, they both shall immediately die”. This is a warning to Mrs. Johnstone that, if she ever tells anyone the truth, she “will kill them”.
The Narrator returns and sings about various symbols of bad luck again, before telling Mrs. Johnstone that “the devil’s got your number” and that he is “knocking at your door.”

1Context & Author

1.1Context

1.1.1Setting

1.1.2Political Background

1.1.3Education & Work

1.1.4Marilyn Monroe & Pop Culture

1.1.5Family

1.2Author

1.2.1Willy Russell

1.2.2End of Topic Test - Context & Author

2Plot

2.1Act One

2.1.1Overview: Introduction to Mrs Johnstone & Lyons

2.1.2Analysis: Introduction to Mrs. Johnston and Lyons

2.1.3Overview: The Birth of Mickey & Edward

2.1.4Analysis: The Birth of Mickey & Edward

2.1.5Overview: Mickey Playing at Home

2.1.6Overview: Mickey & Edward as Seven-year-olds

2.1.7Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Seven-year-olds

2.1.8Overview: Mickey & Edward as Seven-year-olds 2

2.1.9Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Seven-year-olds 2

2.1.10End of Topic Test - Act One

2.1.11End of Topic Test - Act One 2

2.2Act Two

2.2.1Overview: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers

2.2.2Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers

2.2.3Overview: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 2

2.2.4Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 2

2.2.5Overview: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 3

2.2.6Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 3

2.2.7Overview: Mickey & Edward as Adults

2.2.8Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Adults

2.2.9End of Topic Test - Act Two

2.2.10End of Topic Test - Act Two 2

3Characters

3.1Mickey

3.1.1Mickey

3.1.2Mickey as a Damaged Adult

3.2Edward

3.2.1Edward

3.2.2Edward 2

3.2.3End of Topic Test - Mickey & Edward

3.3Linda

3.3.1Linda

3.3.2Linda 2

3.4Mrs Johnstone

3.4.1Mrs Johnstone

3.4.2Mrs Johnstone 2

3.5Mrs Lyons

3.5.1Mrs Lyons

3.5.2Mrs Lyons 2

3.5.3End of Topic Test - Linda & Mothers

3.6Mr Lyons

3.6.1Mr Lyons

3.7Sammy

3.7.1Sammy

3.8The Narrator

3.8.1The Narrator

3.9Minor

3.9.1Minor Characters

3.9.2End of Topic Test - Other Characters

3.10End of Topic Sessions

3.10.1Grade 9 - Key Characters

4Themes

4.1Parents & Children

4.1.1Parents & Children

4.2Growing Up

4.2.1Growing Up

4.3Friendship & Brotherhood

4.3.1Friendship & Brotherhood

4.3.2End of Topic Test - Parents, Growing Up, Friends

4.4Fate & Superstition

4.4.1Fate & Superstition

4.5Nature vs. Nurture

4.5.1Nature vs. Nurture

4.6Social Class

4.6.1Social Class

4.6.2End of Topic Test - Fate, Upbringing & Class

5Literary Techniques

5.1Structure

5.1.1Structure

5.2Tragedy

5.2.1Tragedy

5.3Dramatic Irony

5.3.1Dramatic Irony

5.4Imagery

5.4.1Imagery

5.5Character & Voice

5.5.1Character

5.6Music & Lyrics

5.6.1Music & Lyrics

5.7Accent & Dialect

5.7.1Accent & Dialect

5.7.2End of Topic Test - Literary Techniques

5.7.3End of Topic Test - Literary Techniques 2

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