Willy Russell
English Lit: AQA GCSE Blood Brothers, topic 1.2.1
Willy Russell
It is clear that Blood Brothers is heavily influenced by Willy Russell's own experiences. Social inequality dominates his play, as it did his own life.
Upbringing
- Russell was born near Liverpool in 1947, to a traditional working class family.
- His father did various different jobs, including working as a miner and working in a factory.
- It is clear how this background could have influenced some of the characters and settings in Blood Brothers, particularly the living conditions of the Johnstone family and the kind of work Mickey goes on to do when he finishes school.
Education
- Russell left school at the age of fifteen with very few qualifications. Despite this, he managed to educate himself by attending evening classes, and eventually made it to university and became a teacher.
- Russell therefore knows how important education can be in transforming people’s lives, and this can be linked to both the experiences of Mickey and Edward in the play. Partly due to their different experiences of education, Edward is successful and Mickey is not.
Pop culture
- Russell also had a love of pop culture and music, and this is something that is evident in Blood Brothers notably through Mrs. Johnstone who loves to “go dancing” and is a great admirer of “Marilyn Monroe” (Act One).