Modern texts: Willy Russell Blood Brothers (musical version)

The idea

Blood Brothers is a musical by Willy Russell, first performed in 1983. It tells the tragic story of twin brothers Mickey and Edward, separated at birth and raised in contrasting social classes. Through song, narration and dramatic irony, Russell explores class, fate, superstition, nature versus nurture and social inequality. The non-linear structure, the Narrator and Mrs Johnstone as a tragic figure are central to its impact. Students study the whole musical, including lyrics, stage directions and the recurring devil motif, analysing how Russell uses theatrical techniques to critique social divisions and create sympathy. Assessment is a closed-book whole-text essay question: no extract is printed, so candidates must know the musical thoroughly and select their own evidence. Contexts include 1980s Britain, de-industrialisation and Liverpool.

What earns the marks

• AO1: Explain how Russell immediately establishes the play's tragic outcome in the opening scene, using textual details from the Narrator's first speech.
• AO1: Explain the contrasting development of Mickey and Edward, using specific textual details to show how their lives are determined by their class.
• AO1: Trace Mrs Johnstone's character arc, explaining how she is presented as a victim of her socio-economic circumstances rather than a bad mother.
• AO2: Analyse how Russell uses the contrasting dialects and registers of Mickey and Edward to represent their different social backgrounds and education.
• AO2: Examine Russell's use of juxtaposition and parallel scenes to highlight the inequality between the twins' lives.
• AO2: Discuss the function of the Narrator as a dramatic device that breaks the fourth wall and guides the audience's interpretation.
• AO3: Link the plot point of Mickey's redundancy to the historical context of de-industrialisation and mass unemployment in 1970s-80s Britain.
• AO3: Explore how the play reflects and critiques the British class system and its impact on life chances, particularly in education.
• AO3: Discuss how the play engages with the 'nature versus nurture' debate, a significant social and psychological question.
• AO4: Choose a precise range of vocabulary so each sentence communicates its interpretation clearly and for the intended analytical purpose.
• AO4: Control sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, using complete sentences and secure clause boundaries.
• AO4: Use accurate spelling and punctuation throughout, including sentence boundaries, possessive apostrophes and punctuation around embedded quotations.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Focusing only on plot and ignoring the musical elements.

  Put it right: Analyse how songs and lyrics convey character and theme.

• Overlooking the Narrator's function.

  Put it right: Discuss the Narrator as a dramatic device who comments on and frames the action.

• Treating the ending as merely tragic without linking to wider themes.

  Put it right: Connect the deaths to Russell's critique of class and fate.

• Neglecting the play's structure.

  Put it right: Comment on the non-linear timeline and cyclical opening and closing.

• Assuming the exam will provide an extract to analyse.

  Put it right: AQA Paper 2 Section A modern texts is a closed-book whole-text essay question, so prepare to write about the musical as a whole without a printed passage.

Exam tips

• Plan a whole-text argument that addresses the question's focus, selecting your own evidence from across the musical.
• Use accurate subject terminology (for example foreshadowing, motif, narrator, dramatic irony) and integrate short quotations.
• Stay focused on the question and Russell's intentions, avoiding lengthy plot summary.