Blood Brothers Play Guide for AQA GCSE Drama

SECTION B STUDY OF A SET PLAY: BLOOD BROTHERS 45 Task B25 With a partner, read the scene when the boys first meet at the age of seven, from ‘Edward, also seven appears’ to ‘Mickey: ( taking a handful ) Are you soft?’ Then work together to complete the following activities: 1 Edward is described as ‘bright and forthcoming’, whereas Mickey greets him ‘suspiciously’. Create a still image showing the postures, facial expressions and stage positioning of the two boys when they first meet. 2 What are the characters’ motivations in this scene? Why does Edward approach Mickey? Why does Mickey continue to speak to him? 3 Experiment with the use of dialect . How might the boys’ word choices and way of speaking be different? How do these differences contribute to the comedy? 4 Why is Mickey shocked when Edward agrees to give him a sweet? How might the actor use his voice and body language to express this shock? 5 Experiment with pace in the scene. When do you think the characters would answer each other quickly and when might there be pauses? 6 How might the actor playing Edward use his voice and physical skills to show that he doesn’t mind giving away his sweets? Experiment with pace, volume, facial expression and gesture to convey Edward’s innocence and openness. 7 Experiment with saying the line ‘Are you soft?’ in the following ways: • Quickly, while grabbing a handful of sweets, before Edward can change his mind • Quietly, as if sharing a secret, and taking and hiding the sweets before anyone else sees them • Loudly, with a matter-of-fact tone, while casually helping himself to more sweets. Task B26 Use the grids below to note the vocal and physical qualities of Mickey and Edward as teenagers and young men. Give at least one precise example when these traits might be noticeable. A few suggestions have been made to get you started. KEY TERMS Still image: An acting technique when you freeze a moment in silence, showing the characters’ positions and facial expressions. Dialect: A way of speaking that is specific to a certain location or social group. Pace: The speed or rate at which something happens. As teenagers Mickey Edward Posture Gestures Awkward when his mother is teaching him to dance, holding his arms out stiffly as he clumsily tries to remember the steps. Facial expressions Avoids eye contact and looks down, embarrassed, as his mother teases him about Linda. Vocal volume/pace Vocal tone As adults Mickey Edward Posture Gestures Facial expressions Vocal volume/pace Speaks slowly and quietly in most of the pill scene with Linda, due to his depression and use of sedatives. Vocal tone Tries to hide his fear when Mickey appears with a gun by speaking gently and evenly.