Overview: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 2

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Overview: Mrs. Johnstone and Mrs. Lyons Meet

Mrs. Johnstone meets Edward. Then Mrs. Lyons confronts Mrs. Johnstone about her move to the countryside.

Mrs. Johnstone meets Edward

The boys arrive at Mrs. Johnstone’s house, and Mickey reintroduces Edward to his mother.
Mrs. Johnstone is surprised to see Edward, but is clearly also very happy.
Mrs. Johnstone offers to pay for the cinema, and Mickey goes into the other room to fetch the money.
While Mickey is gone, Mrs. Johnstone asks Edward if he still has the locket: “Do you… do you still keep that locket I gave y’?”. She is pleased to find out that he does.

The pornographic film

The boys try to lie about the type of film they are going to see, but Mrs. Johnstone is able to work out that they are not telling the truth.
Nevertheless, she is amused, rather than angry, about the fact they are planning to watch a pornographic film, and sends them on their way, jokingly telling them to “go on, before I through a bucket of water of y’”. Edward again talks about how “fabulous” he thinks Mrs. Johnstone is.

Mrs. Lyons arrives

When the boys leave, Mrs. Lyons arrives, demanding to know how long the Johnstone family has been living in the area.
Enraged, she asks whether Mrs. Johnstone is planning to follow her family forever.
Mrs. Lyons also expresses her anger that Edward refuses to take off the locket Mrs. Johnstone gave him.
Mrs. Lyons asks Mrs. Johnstone whether she has told Edward the truth, and Mrs. Johnstone assures her that she has not.

Mrs. Lyons becomes angry

Mrs. Lyons is becoming increasingly unstable and offers Mrs. Johnstone any sum of money to move away from the area: “I’m talking about thousands if you want it!”.
Mrs. Johnstone refuses, and Mrs. Lyons grabs a kitchen knife and tries to stab Mrs. Johnstone. Mrs. Johnstone stops her and screams, “YOU’RE MAD. MAD”.
Mrs. Lyons calls Mrs. Johnstone a “witch” before leaving the scene.

Mrs. Lyons' mental condition

The children of the area now begin singing a song about how “high up on the hill a mad woman lives”, suggesting that Mrs. Lyons’ madness is no longer contained to her own home, and that she has become a figure of legend and ridicule in the local community.

Overview: Mickey, Edward and Linda are Reunited

It turns out that Mickey and Edward were at the same film as Linda. Later they get caught by the police.

Edward sees Linda

Unaware of the violence that has been occurring between Mrs. Lyons and Mrs. Johnstone, Mickey and Edward leave the cinema, completely in awe of what they have just seen.
Edward begins to chant “tits, tits, tits” when Linda and a friend of hers come out of the cinema as well.

Lying about the pornographic film

Linda asks Mickey what he is up to in town, and he lies about what they have been doing.
It soon becomes clear, however, that Linda and her friend were at the same pornographic film as Mickey and Edward.

Caught by the police

Edward continues with his crude chanting, even climbing a lamppost.
The three friends are then confronted by a police officer for their disruptive behaviour.
Linda distracts the officer and they make a run for it, in a scene reminiscent of the time when they got into trouble for breaking windows as young children.

A happy summer

Mickey, Edward and Linda spend a happy summer together, playing innocently.
The Narrator appears to warn the audience that Linda will one day pay the price for her role in between the two brothers.
The children grow up from 14 to 18, and are still enjoying their seemingly idyllic friendship.
The Narrator takes a photograph of the three of them together, singing that the trio are “young, free and innocent”.

Overview: Mickey and Edward at 18

Four years have passed, Edward and Mickey's lives begin to diverge even more.

Edward's feelings for Linda

Edward asks Linda where Mickey is, and she replies that Mickey “must be workin’ overtime” at the factory.
Edward is feeling sad because he is going to university the next day, and he asks Linda whether it would be appropriate for him to write to her, considering she was Mickey’s girlfriend.
Linda says that she is not Mickey’s girlfriend because “he hasn’t asked me”.
Edward then sings a song where he imagines what life with Linda would be like, but ends the song with “I’m not saying a word”.

Mickey asks Linda out

Mickey enters the scene, complaining about his job in the “soddin’” factory, and Edward tells him that he is going to be away at university until Christmas.
Edward asks Mickey to ask out Linda officially, and Mickey does this in an awkward way:“Linda for Christ’s sake will you go out with me?”. Mickey and Linda share a romantic kiss.

Edward leaves

Edward says he has to leave, and Mickey promises to “do loads of overtime between now and then” so that the three of them can spend time together at Christmas. The friends say their goodbyes and leave.

Linda's pregnancy

Mickey is preparing to go to work, and Mrs. Johnstone has made him lunch.
The Narrator arrives on the stage to explain that it is now a cold day in October and, mysteriously, that “the bogey man was seen around town”.
Mickey then suddenly reveals to his mother that Linda is pregnant, and he intends to marry her as soon as possible, also asking his mother whether they can stay with Mrs. Johnstone for a while.
Mrs. Johnstone is warm and affectionate towards her son, and wants to support him as much as she can.

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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